November 17th, 25: Overcoming Discouragement and Living Generously through Christ’s Strength

Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast! In today’s episode for Friday, November 17th—day 321 of our journey through the Bible—Hunter invites us into a time of reflection, encouragement, and prayer rooted in Second Corinthians chapters 7 through 10. Together, we explore the themes of generosity, spiritual strength, and the source of true Christian living found in Christ.

Hunter reminds us of the promises we have in Jesus, guiding us to cleanse our hearts, embrace holiness, and rely on God's power for a life that is both generous and resilient. Through thoughtful prayer and insightful commentary, we learn that we have all the riches and strength we need in Christ, empowering us to serve, give, endure, and heal.

Prepare to enter a new day with God's word spoken over you, uplifting prayers for yourself and the world, and encouragement to walk in truth, peace, and hope—trusting in the deep love God has for you. Let's continue this journey together, discovering joy and strength in every step.

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Do you want to live a life that is generous and strong? Can you afford to live a generous Christian life? Do you have strength to defend yourself against spiritual attack—or, forget about spiritual attack, just plain old discouragement, depression, or self-loathing? We all need strength to overcome these things, whether spiritual or otherwise.

Paul reminds us in the previous chapters where our riches for generous living and the strength for our struggles come from. They come from the One who alone is rich enough and strong enough. They come from Christ. Christ in you.

So, do you want to live a life that is generous and strong? Then Christ will be the source of your strength and the source of your riches—your heart partnering with him to serve, to give, to endure, and to be healed. Yesterday's reading sets this up for us: it says that God's power is working in us.

And now, in today’s passage, 2 Corinthians 7:1, we read, "Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. Let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God." So, what’s the promise? It’s the promise of Christ’s presence in you.

What are the earmarks of holy living? Generosity and strength.

Because Christ lives in you, you are able to cleanse yourself from everything that defiles your body and spirit. Now, you have the strength and generosity to move forward and to experience real change. Because you fear God, because Christ lives in you, you have what you need.

Can you afford a generous life? It depends on how rich you are. Do you have the strength you need to move forward? Well, that depends on how strong you are.

How rich are you? How strong are you? If Christ is in you, then you have all the riches you need and then some. If Christ is in you, then you have all the strength you need and then some. And I’m here to tell you, Christ is in you.

As John said, "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." So because we have these promises, we can live the Christian life. Let's be awakened today by the presence of God in you, your true life which is hidden in Him. You have been fully embraced in Christ just as you are in Him.

You are a new creation, and because of Him, you can be wise and generous—strong. And the prayer of my own heart today is that we will all begin to see this just a little bit more today than we did yesterday. That’s the prayer I have for my own soul. That’s the prayer I have for my family—for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that’s the prayer I have for you. May it be so.