“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” (2 Corinthians 4:13–14, KJV)
It is amazing how quick we are to share good news. I remember when our children were borne. I got on the phone and immediately called our parents with the good news. When a woman gets engaged for marriage, she immediately calls her friends and shows off the engagement ring.
When one of my dad’s close fishing buddies would hear of a run of fish being caught on the beach, he would call my dad and the group that fished together and alert them. The gang then would all meet down at the beach to fish, believing that they were going to have a good catch. In this case, they went by faith based upon the word of one man.
As we look at Paul’s ministry hardships, we might ask, “Why did he not give up?” It seems that lesser men would have just quit thinking that it just was not worth the effort. I have spoken to missionaries that have spent years working in a field without seeing one convert. They have preached the word and sacrificed much to be on their specific mission field. After seeing such little fruit for their sacrifice, why have they not quit? I believe that Paul is giving us the answers in this passage.
In the previous verses, we have seen two reasons that the servants of God do not quit in spite of enduring the hardships of ministry. The first is that the Lord Jesus has, by His grace, sustained them (2 Cor 4:7-9). The second is that we understand that the Lord works to display His glorious light in even greater ways in the dark times of hardship (2 Cor 4:10-12).
Here, we see the third reason that the servants of God do not quit in the midst of hardships. It is because true faith cannot be silenced. Paul quoted the Psalmist, “I believed, therefore have I spoken” (Psalm 116:10, KJV). Paul’s faith was such that he could not keep a lid on it. He and his team were absolutely assured that God who raised Jesus from the grave would also raise them up as well. They believed in Jesus. In His death, burial, resurrection, and that they had the guarantee of eternal life in Christ. This understanding was so awesome that they could not keep silent about it, regardless of the cost to them personally.
I remember when the Lord saved me in 1983, I felt compelled to tell everyone about the experience whether they wanted to hear it or not. I would share it with strangers going door to door, with people in various churches, and with others that I met. However, something happens over time. It seems that sometimes the zeal that we had can somewhat wear off. This is where we need personal revival. The Lord needs to recharge our hearts, so to speak. It can happen in a variety of ways, but it begins with humility and seeking the Lord in prayer. Often this happens more in times of trial. For it is then that we will often seek Him with a renewed passion and it is then when He will stir our hearts anew. But it should not be only in times of tribulation. We can experience this renewal when we come to a place of understanding our lack, humbly repent from it, and passionately call upon God for a renewed heart.
Examine yourself today. Have you grown cold? Humbly call upon the Lord today to revive your heart and He will do it.
Renewing the Heart 