Devotion's by Deborah

Devotion 4-12-24, 2 Corinthians 4:16- "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." In chapter 5, Paul refers to our bodies as a tent which will eventually get holes in it and be torn down. Here, he says the outer man is decaying. In both cases, it is not the tent, the outer part of us, that is truly important. If we have a life lived with and for Jesus, the growing, maturing, inner man is what is truly important. Aging, illness, accidents, and eventually physical death are all part of life. They are really unavoidable, even though we work hard to maintain health. At some point, we will die. But the inner man may be renewed daily. The inner man, occupied by the Holy Spirit, improves and strengthens rather than declines. Yes, we ought to care for the outer man, the tent; we ought to fix the holes when we can. But, without a living, healthy, growing, and maturing inner man, it is really worth nothing. We are to manifest the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh (verse 10). We are to live out His love for God and love for people. This is pleasing to God and brings Him glory. Take care of the outer tent because you are taking care of the inner man. Glorify God in all ways. He will be pleased and you will be strengthened. No matter what happens to the outer tent, glorify God in your inner man. Bring attention to Jesus as you live each day.