Knocked down, Not Knocked out

Knocked down, Not Knocked out

Bible: 2 Corinthians 4:1-9

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair (V.8).

Reading

Amy tried to end her life after years of abuse and heartbreak. She was six when her parents divorced and her stepmum began abusing her. At thirteen she was sexually assaulted and blamed for the crime. At eighteen her father committed suicide. Addiction and more pain and abuse followed. Yet Amy’s trust in Jesus allowed her to survive. In time, she started a support group for people with similar struggles—The Semicolon Project. Its message is simple, but powerful: “A semicolon is used when an author could have chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you, and the semicolon is your life.” Paul once opened up about some intense struggles in his life. He talked about being “hard pressed on every side” (2 CORINTHIANS 4:8). He was hated and beaten for loving Jesus. He suffered health issues. He was hunted down and jailed. Sometimes he went without food and sleep (6:5; 12:7). Yet he wasn’t “crushed”. Living within us is the same life-giving Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (ROMANS 8:11). And Paul said we can “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (15:13). Despite the abuse she went through, Amy’s message today is: “Stay strong; love endlessly; change lives.” Hope involves trusting that God can bring good out of even the worst things (GENESIS 50:20; ROMANS 8:28). When we depend on His strength, getting knocked down is different from getting knocked out. Paul said, “We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (2 CORINTHIANS 4:9 NLT).

GOD WILL ALWAYS GIVE US THE STRENGTH
WE NEED TO KEEP GOING.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries