Day By Day

II Corinthians 4:7-16 (NKJV)

DAY BY DAY

July 27, 2025

I. THE VESSEL - There is a problem presented in the text and the problem is the vessel that holds this treasure! The vessel is an earthen vessel and this clay pot is fragile! Verse 7 says . . . “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Jeremiah 18:1-6 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. . . Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand . . .* Even in the Potter’s hand we find that there is a problem with the clay. The Bible says that the vessel was marred in the potter’s hand. There are times when with the best of care, the vessel still gets out of shape. Never be guilty of believing that this cannot happen to you. There are many people in this world that started out running well for the Lord, but along the way they got weak and out of balance in their lives. Even though the clay is misshapen and deformed, it is still in His hand. When the vessel is marred, the Potter does not throw the clay away and start fresh with a new piece. . . He has a vested interest in what happens to the clay. He has paid the ultimate price for His clay. He died for it to redeem it from sin and from disuse. Jeremiah says, So He made it again, another! Paul says, “He who has begun a good work in you will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ.” In 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” I submit to you today that only God can take what is old and marred and form it again and it becomes a new thing! 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are Troubled on every side, yet not Distressed; we are Perplexed, but not in Despair; Persecuted, but not Forsaken; Cast down, but not Destroyed;” Christianity is Painful - Paul uses some pretty descriptive language. Note the language he uses: Troubled Yes! - Distressed No! John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Perplexed Yes! Despair No! Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Persecuted Yes! – Forsaken No! Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Down Yes! – Destroyed No! Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

II. V. 16a THE VOW - In verse 16, Paul says “For which cause we faint not…” That is an amazing statement! The word “faint” refers to “a failing of the heart”. So, the phrase can be read this way: “We do not lose heart”. Paul is telling us that regardless of what comes his way, he does not give up, he does not give in, he does not give out. It is so easy to come to a place where you are ready to throw in the towel, lay down your burdens, to just quit. Paul’s life was anything but easy. “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:” (2 Corinthians 1:8) Yet, in spite of all those trials, tribulations, and burdens, Paul can say: “We Faint Not!” We all want to quit from time to time. We all want to just stop and give no more because we feel that we have given all we already can. But I am far more interested in reaching the place where I can say. “I faint not. I do not lose heart”. For it is written: Psalm 116:8-10 “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken”… Psalm 107:2 “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” Paul says “though our outward man perish”. The reason it is so easy for us to lose heart is that the “outer man” is “perishing”. He is dying. He is rotting, He is broken. He is ruined. He is in the process of being destroyed. And the problems associated with his “destruction” causes us to “lose heart”. BUT, as his outer nature decays, God is glorified. “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” It is so easy to “lose heart” when life and people turn against you. It is so easy to come to a place where you just want to quit. But, you don’t have to! You don’t have to be defeated. You don’t have to become a statistic. You don’t have to be one of those people who used to walk with God. You don’t have to be one of those people who used to go to prayer meeting. You don’t have to be one of those…