“Your relationship with Me will bring both life and death to you. Not only are you a new being, but I will continually pour Myself into you to conform you to the likeness of Jesus. That is true life! Our relationship will also bring death to your worldly ways. Your portion is to prepare for both. Observe when refiner’s fires or difficult circumstances are accomplishing a death to your flesh and strengthening your resolve to serve Jesus. Observe also when serene circumstances are used to build up your spirit, bringing life to your inner man by the power of the Holy Spirit. My life and death process will continue until Jesus comes for you. Don’t attempt to squirm out of difficult times any more than you would deny the restful, peaceful times. Both are accomplishing a great work in you.”
2 Cor. 1:8-10 NIV
8) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9) Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
10) He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…
2 Cor. 3:18 AMP
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
2 Cor. 5:17 AMP
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ, (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!
Ja. 1:2-5 NIV
2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
As I look back on my walk (actually stumble) with the Lord, I see that the difficult times were the most productive times. They were the times that taught me how to need Jesus. They brought my pride low enough to call out His Name.
Those hard times also taught me about the faithfulness of our Father. As I reflect back, I see the wondrous pattern of a loving God taking care of His dumb kid, who over and over fell in the same mud puddle or tumbled out of the same tree. The life and death process of the Lord has done and will continue to do its work in me until I see Jesus. I am so glad for that promise.
Thank You for Your trials, Lord,
Jim Corbett
