…whenever someone turns to the Lord,
the veil is taken away.
For the Lord is the spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.
So all of us who have had that veil removed
can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.
And the Lord—who is the Spirit—
makes us more and more like him as we are changed
into his glorious image.
For Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
does not waver between “Yes” and “No.”
…as God’s ultimate “Yes,”
he always does what he says.
For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ
with a resounding “Yes!”
…We were crushed and overwhelmed
beyond our ability to endure,
and we thought we would never live through it.
In fact, we expected to die.
But as a result,
we stopped relying on ourselves
and learned to rely only on God,
who raises the dead.
…God is our merciful Father
and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles
so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled,
we will be able to give them the same comfort
God has given us.
Be on guard.
Stand firm in the faith.
Be courageous.
Be strong.
And do everything with love.
…Always work enthusiastically for the Lord,
for you know that nothing you do for the Lord
is ever useless.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed
into bodies that will never die,
this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
Blessings of knowing death will be forever gone!
O LORD, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
