Daily Inspirations

Good morning. It is possible that the “sorrow“ that Paul was talking about was from First Corinthians where he talked about someone having his father’s wife (stepmother), and them being complacent about it. He scolded them and said that he had already judged him, and had decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Continuing where we left off in Second Corinthians: if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree to all of you. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote (this makes it seem like the writing we talked about yesterday was First Corinthians instead of some unknown letter), so that I might put you to the test, w...

Good morning. Just a few verses before, Paul had been saying he was not vacillating about coming to see them. To spare you, I did not come again to Corinth. I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. It sounds like that on a previous visit to Corinth there had been sorrow connected with the occasion. My Bible says that if so, it is an unknown visit. For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I come, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. There is debate as to whether the “l wrote you” Paul was talking about was First Corinthians, or a separate letter that we don’t have a copy of. We will continue this next time. Father continue to go with the reader and his/her family, giving them wisdom and understanding in all that they encounter.

  Good morning. In addition to God establishing us in Christ and anointing us: who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. The word sealed means to stamp (as with a signet ring) for security or preservation, and the form of the verb denotes a special interest of the sealer in His act. My Bible says that a pledge is a part given as a guarantee that the whole will be forthcoming. The part is of the same kind as the whole. According to Vine’s, it is the same word in modern Greek that is used for an engagement ring. The Holy Spirit in our hearts is our engagement ring from God. What could our wedding band be but our resurrected body? Father thank You that You sealed us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is ours to come. Help us to be conscious of that every day.

  Good morning. Paul had told them that he wanted to come; but he had been prevented. But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. He was saying “I am not wishy-washy and neither is Christ”. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. You can believe what God has promised us. He is not going to take it back. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God. God is the one who establishes us, not we ourselves. We cooperate with Him; but we are not the ones who do the establishing. Some preachers try to “stir up” an anointing; but if there is none there, they can not create one on their own. Father thank You that Your promises are yes and Amen. We can stake our lives and our souls on them. Give the reader energy for the tasks ahead.

  Good morning. Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. Sometimes we have to get to the point where there is no hope for us to trust in God. Even if we don’t make it, God will “raise us from the dead” in the end. Who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us. He in whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us. We can be confident in Him. For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. No matter what bad things people may say about him, Paul knew that he had done nothing wrong. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end. Paul said what he meant, and meant what he said. Father go with the reader. Help him/her to remember the goo...

  Good morning. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. That’s easy for you to say Paul. We always think of Paul as being above the fray and not afraid of anything. But the following says something a little different. For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burden excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Bummer! Paul, don’t you know that you are more than a conqueror? Of course he did. It just shows how even the best of the best can let things get them down. And if that happens to them, it can happen to us. Remember, if you get knocked down, get back up. It is only when you don’t get back up that you lose...