2 Corinthians 7:9-16 Two Kinds of Grief
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 4, 2020 2 Corinthians 7:9-16
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.
(Understanding the Text) Paul says that there are two kinds of grief. There is grief that leads to brokenness and eventually death– Death of hope, death of the desire to live, death of joy, death of growth. Then there is the grief that leads to transformation. This grief leads to repentance and turning to God. It leads to changed lives. It leads to a new perspective and maturation. Paul says that the Corinthians’ grief produced life including energetic movement to clear their name, indignation, fear, longing, and zeal. I understand all those, but Paul ends his list with punishment. Godly grief leads to punishment??? I guess it was how the Corinthians dealt with those who were the ringleaders against Paul, but it still doesn’t sound right. Paul was worried about the effect of his mean letter, but now he is happy with the effect because the Corinthians have turned themselves around and are no longer confused and flip-flopping back and forth between the world and Jesus. They have chosen Jesus 100%.
Paul says that the benefit of the letter wasn’t for the wrongdoers who opposed him and it wasn’t for Paul himself, but it benefitted the Corinthians so that they could see where there true priorities lay. The letter brought forth the best of the people. Paul is comforted because of the Corinthians strong support for him, but he is also happy because they treated Titus so well. Titus had a great experience with the Corinthians who were supportive and enthusiastic, so Paul is happy that the potential he saw and spoke of beforehand to Titus was the reality that Titus experienced while he was with the Corinthians. Paul affirms that he knows that the Corinthians’ will be alright.
(Application / Revelation of God) My application for myself is that through Jesus healing can come from negative experiences. Life squeezes and pummels us and tries to break us, but God can change our response so that we are not hurt by the life. Instead, we learn and grow and become more than we thought possible when faced with life’s trials.
(Prayer) I pray that all my grief will be Godly rather than leading to death and that I will make You proud of me. I pray to keep hold of You through all the trials that follow.