“Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).

We are often impressed by what we see in the flesh. Do not weigh another based upon the standards of this age, but look beyond and see what the Lord is doing through the one who lives by faith. Yes, Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead, but we are to focus upon our lives of faith and not upon what this world lifts up as important. We are new creatures in Him who has redeemed us.

Lord, grant me spiritual eyes to see the more important things. I am guided by this world’s standards and the things I have experienced. Help me instead to see that in You is all hope and a future. Guide me to see things thus that I would not weigh the works of another, but encourage them to walk in the faith You have given and live into the life to which Your grace calls me.

Thank You, Jesus, for paving the way into the new life made possible by grace. Lead me today and each day farther along the trail of this new life that I may grow and be strengthened in faith. Let me see that You are walking with me always and that You will guide me in all of my ways. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear that I would live this new life which You have given me. Amen.

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Do you see the reality? God is not capricious, but merciful. He died once for all, that all who believe would be offered a new way to live. More than a choice one makes, it is the reality of God at work in and through those who walk with Him. Living this new life means no longer living for ourselves, but abiding in Him that He may make of us what has always been intended.

Lord, grant that I would see through all of the fleeting temptations of this age and live into the life You give through grace. You have united me with You on the cross that I may become what the Father intends. Open my eyes to see that I may believe and live into the eternal life which You promise by grace. Guide me in Your goodness to believe and trust in You above all things.

Lord Jesus, You have come to pave the way for those who believe. Guide me, O Lord, in this new life You have given me that I may walk according to the Father’s will. Lead me in Your example to see the steps You are giving me to take that I may learn faithfulness. Through all things, help me each day to understand more and more that I am united with You and through You by grace. Amen.

“We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you” (2 Corinthians 5:12-13).

We are to be encouraged by those who are doing the work for the Lord in a public way. They are worthy of honor. The world seeks what it will from others. We are called into a partnership, understanding that everything belongs to the Lord. We should not commend ourselves to one another, but we should uplift and encourage all whom we meet to live for the Lord.

Holy Spirit, open my eyes and heart to see more clearly the reality of all that You are doing through me and those around me. Help me see that I am not under obligation, but in a partnership with those around me. Lead me in the truth You have revealed that I may be guided by You and what You know needs to be done. Help me to learn to honor those who should be honored.

Lord Jesus, You have shown us the way. You, through whom all things have their being, humbled Yourself and did not bring compulsion upon any of us. Lead me in Your example of inviting me in to be Your friend that I may befriend those around me and be an example of Your work in this world. Teach me what I need to know that I may abide in You and You in me always. Amen.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

Bottom line, you may think about what your neighbor is thinking and doing, but the only one you know anything about for sure is yourself. This is not a call to be narcissistic, but to work on the only one you can do anything about, namely yourself, and provide a witness of the truth that the Lord is in you.  Be guided by the goodness of the Lord, do your part and live in the clear conscience the Lord gives.

Lord, I know one day I shall stand before you. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may be found having lived life seeking to obey all that You command. Help me to not live in fear (though it is appropriate to have the fear of the Lord), but in love which You have demonstrated first. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth and thereby allow me to be witness of Your love in me.

Lord Jesus, You are the judge of the living and the dead. You have come to pave the way, but then You will also be the One who will meet each one of us on the great and terrible day of judgment. You know the way I need to go. Lead me, Lord, and grant me a heart that willingly follows. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may follow You all the days of my life doing what is pleasing in the Father’s eyes. Amen.

“We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:8-9).

What is your ambition? Is it to find all the comfort you can in this world or to embark on the journey the Lord has placed before you in faith? Yes, you can find some comfort in this age, but it is fleeting and in the end, it will all be left behind. Why not seek the greater treasure of living in the presence of the Eternal One who will be with you forever. Come into His presence and find true treasure.

Lord, I am conflicted in this age. I want to be comfortable and live a good life. Yet, my mind knows that this is temporary. Lead me, O Lord, in the better way of being thankful for what comforts I have, but also never losing sight of the upward call You have given me by grace through faith. Help me to see through the temptations of this age to pursue what is right in Your sight.

Holy Spirit, come sift my heart and then instruct me how to walk the better path. Guide me according to Your goodness that I may seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. Lead me where You will and give me a gracious heart to receive with thankfulness all that You give. You know what I need even before I ask. You know all that is needed to take me from where I am to where I will be. Amen.  

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:6-7)

We physical beings cling to that which we know. Yet our spirit is alive, but dim in awareness. Leave behind you the merely physical, knowing it has good purpose, but pursue the awakening the Lord has made possible through grace. Yes, you need to do all you can, knowing the Lord is making it happen. It is a relationship with the Lord that is awakening in you that You may walk with Him forever.

Lord, in the mystery of this life, I cling to what I know. I am often afraid of those new places, most especially the ones You call for me to step out and trust You. Help me, Lord, to move beyond where I am that I may learn to walk by faith, growing and learning as You alone know I need. Guide me through this faith You have given me that I may grow to be like You.

Lord Jesus, You have come as the model of the godly life. We are to be conformed to Your image. That seems a daunting task, yet it is what we are called to do in faith. Lead me, O Lord, to see that only in following You am I able to become what You are creating. Guide me to learn how to trust and follow more and more that I would indeed become like You according to Your grace. Amen.

“For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge” (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).

Even the unbeliever wants more life to live. We long for that which God has placed in our hearts. Lead me, O Lord, in this upper way knowing that in You and only by Your power can I come to the place where You dwell. You have given the pledge that our faith is not in vain. Guide me, Lord, in the way of life that I may walk with You now and forever.

The Lord knows all that is needed and is more than able to make all things work together for good according to His purpose. We are not challenged with understanding all of these things, but with following Him no matter where He leads. Come then into the promise of the Lord and live trusting Him in, through, and above all things. He will accomplish all that He has promised.

Come, Holy Spirit, and place in me the likeness of Christ. Keep my eyes upon You, for You will lead me through each day that comes. Help me to not focus upon this world’s difficulties, but upon the everlasting life for which You are preparing me. Help me to rise above all of those things which pull me down, and help me to be in this world doing what You would have me do. Amen.

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

If this life were limited to just who we are in the flesh and the experiences we have upon this earth, there would be nothing to hope for. But our life here is temporary and we were created to be with the Lord forever. What kind of people ought we to be knowing this? Put on the life of Christ, for this is the life to which we have been called, and that leads to eternal life.

Lord, I often live as if what I do day to day does not matter. I know that Your grace is sufficient, but this is not in order to live a carefree life here and now. Guide me into the true life You give by grace that I may put on the true life You give. Lead me in the upward way of living into the new life You give that I may now and always abide humbly in You and You in me.

Lord Jesus, You have come to make the way possible, living into a new life that comes only through You. Guide me, O Lord, that I may always abide in what You have said and not be content with this world, or the way it does things. Teach me today and every day how to live into the new life You have placed upon me. Guide me by Your Spirit to always seek for that deeper experience You set before me. Amen.

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

The corruptible self, which is doomed because of sin, is lifted with Christ to become an immortal child of God. What is the price? It was paid for by Christ. We have our part and it is, by comparison, small.  What should we say when what we receive through grace is so much more than what we can imagine? The only thing to do is to endure the difficulties of this world with thanksgiving for the immutable glory the Lord is giving.

Lord, I often think in terms of the moment. Help me to see beyond this moment and never lose track of the reality of what You are doing. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always abide in You as You prepare me for eternity. Help me through those times when I do not see to keep my eyes upon You. Lead me as You know I need to be led to stay on this path upon which You have set me.

Lord Jesus, You know how difficult this world is. You know what it is to navigate through all of the forces of darkness that come against us. Lead me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may not fall aside, but walk faithfully with You. No matter what comes, guide me in the upward path You have placed before me that I may be with You now and forever. In You is all hope to complete the journey of faith You make possible. Amen.

“For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:15-16).

What has the Lord come to do? We often think in terms of cleaning up what has gone wrong, but does not the Lord put into us a new life? Yes, it is this new life that is imparted which kills the old Adam and puts in the likeness of Christ. All of this is the reason there is grace and grace is the means by which the Lord does this. In the mystery of the faith, Christ is raising the dead to be alive in Him.

Lord, what great mystery there is in what You are doing, yet I know You are doing it. Help me to not focus upon what I do not know, but upon the truth that You are in me and Your salvation is at work. Guide me ever deeper into this new life that I may abide in You and You in me. Help me to trust You more and more each day knowing that You are Lord and all of this is Your plan.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way for all who believe. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may learn from You this day. Help me to not focus upon what I think, feel, or understand, but look to You who alone is able to save. Through all things I encounter this day, lead me as You know I need to be led and help me to learn to trust in Your amazing grace. Amen.