Lectio Divina: Resilience
Date: February 9, 2026
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Naomi Van De Visch

Part 1: Inward Focus

Welcome. Our theme for this month is Resilience. 

As we enter this time of prayer, let’s take a moment to breathe and rest in the presence of our loving Father. 

Today, we’ll be reading from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 from the NIV. 

In New Testament times, treasures were concealed in jars of clay, which had little value or beauty. In the same way, Paul described the apostles as jars of clay hiding the glory of God. My study Bible describes it this way: “The absolute insufficiency of human beings reveals the total sufficiency of God.” In light of the “all-surpassing power” of God at work in him, Paul wrote the words that we will be reflecting on this morning, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Jonathan Haidt, in his book “The Anxious Generation,” writes about an experiment that was launched in the Arizona desert in the 80s to create a biosphere. One thing they learned from this experiment was that “many of the trees planted to create a rainforest ecosystem grew rapidly but then toppled before reaching maturity. The designers had not realized that young trees need wind to grow properly. When the wind blows, it bends the tree, tugging at the roots on the windward side and compressing the wood on the other side. In response, the root system expands to provide a firmer anchor where needed, and the compressed wood cells strengthen the structure.” (p. 77) 

In what ways are you feeling pressed or battered by troubles? How have you seen God demonstrate His “all-surpassing power” in the midst of these circumstances? How have you experienced spiritual growth because of these difficulties? 

Pause

Let me read again, 2 Corinthians 4:7-8

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

“The word for ‘perplexed’ in the original language simply means to be ‘confused,’ ‘uncertain,’ or ‘in doubt.’” (gotquestions.org)

In this passage, Paul is using a bit of word play. In the original language, “despair” is the same word translated as “perplexed,” except with the prefix ‘ex-’ added. This prefix emphasizes the original word to its fullest extent. It could be translated to say, we are “perplexed” but not “totally perplexed.” Paul is saying that he has experienced confusion and doubt, but God has never allowed it to overwhelm him. (gotquestions.org)

How are you experiencing confusion or doubt? How has God kept you from being overwhelmed by those doubts? How has he kept you from despair?

Pause

These feelings of uncertainty are normal. Like Paul, we can take comfort in the fact that God is in control. We can be “perplexed, but not in despair,” because we “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Part 2: Outward Focus

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