2 Corinthians 1:12-24 In Christ God is faithful and has guaranteed that we will hold fast until the end

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. The reason that Paul's preaching is the word of God is because it does not originate from human wisdom, but from the grace of God. God strengthens us to hold firm to the truth of the gospel, and persevere until the end. God does not leave us as orphans, but instead has the Holy Spirit to indwell us to guide and protect us from the evil the lies waiting. By the Holy Spirit, we are guaranteed our return to Christ who claims us as his own, who will in due time, hand us over to the Father who loves us. Daily Prayer: Lord, if we do not already possess the Holy Spirit, then save us and sanctify us through his presence. Let us speak boldly and fearlessly of you knowing that you are with us and will not leave us, even to the end of this age. Amen.