Remember What You Are Carrying!

Remember What You Are Carrying!

7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (1st Corinthians 4:7-10)

In this 4th chapter of 2nd Corinthians, Paul is talking to those who have a commitment to this life in Christ. Those who understand that we are no longer under a veil but because of Jesus Christ, we now have face to face access to God. We are the ones to understand and recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation or law is recognized as outdated. We are now broken up with our old way of life. That sin life that I held a long term relationship with…is over! This break up has made me free to fully and passionately pursue an intimate relationship with God. Because we have become intimately acquainted with God, we now carry the things of God (His word…His promises, etc). Of course even while maintaining a relationship with God, the enemy wants to woo you back. Because you refused his (Satan’s) advances he now wants to destroy you. 1st Peter 5:8 says “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

I once heard a story about a female dog that was pregnant with puppies. One day she was near a three lane highway, needing to get to the other side where she could find food… to keep up her strength. As she maneuvered her way across that busy highway, she could not move very fast, because her belly was so swelled with the puppies she was carrying. Horns would blow, as the cars were barely missing her. She got to the very shoulder of the road, and was about to step into safety, when a car speeding at about 70 miles per hour, came out of nowhere, and hit her in the rear section of her body. The impact was so great until it flipped her about 50 or so feet up in the air. She landed near a grassy area. Still partially in the road, she dragged herself out of harms way into the grass. As she lay there, bleeding, barely able to move, and in excruciating pain, she felt like death would be her only comfort. If death would come right now, she could be out of this misery. It was too much for her to bear. She lay there waiting for death to claim her, but then she looked down… and she saw her belly swollen with the life that was growing inside of her, and she thought to herself, I can not die now…she told death no. Why? Because she remembered what she was carrying.

I know sometimes life can be harsh, leaving you hurt, in pain, or feeling as if the bleeding will never stop…look down at your belly, because I heard St. John 7:38 says: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water! Don’t give up and die right where you are, instead look up and live, and remember what you are carrying!