All Sufficient Grace

2 Corinthians 12

" 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

This is one of my most relied upon gifts from the Lord. His grace being enough for me, revealing His power in my weakness; knowing that in this, when I'm weak, I am strong! So opposite, antithetical to the world's way! In fact, how like the Lord to communicate through His Word directly to us relevant to even today's affairs! I have been praying over a matter that is a great opportunity offered to me, but for which I feel quite inadequate to carry out! SO - I'm trusting that by God's grace, my weakness/inadequacies will be fueled by God's perfect power - and that He will 'prove' Himself as He has time and time again. Not to mention - how wonderful of God to present opportunities for (my) faith to be deepened as dependence on God is needed!

Paul continues "to boast" to the Corinthians, out of love, in response to their teetering on letting go of what Paul has taught them and turning to false beliefs through false teaching! Yet, in this portion of Scripture, Paul turns to non-worldly standards....he shares with the Corinthians about the unbelievable, other-worldly revelations received by him from God! He then goes on to say that because of such super-natural displays of God to him, God sent "a messenger of Satan to torment" him (vs 7)! Paul prayed to have this "thorn in the flesh" removed, but alas, God did not remove it. Paul saw the thorn as God's intervention to help Paul remain humble (grateful, dependent on God and not himself). THIS is the point at which Paul saw God's power through him perfected in his weakness (the thorn in his flesh).

We don't see God's power perfected until we see our weakness. Not before....thank God for the testimony of the saints! Saints of old (Paul) and present day saints - you and I! Grace is not something stored up to keep for a rainy day - grace is given just in the moment it is needed! That is a powerful way God reveals our need to depend on Him and not ourselves! God comes through every time. He promises.

So join me today in asking God to reveal our weaknesses (not a request of manufacturing them or to purposely 'be weak'), those areas of our lives where we are prone to think and feel (perceived or real!) inadequate, don't measure up, don't have what it takes, our stresses/anxieties/worries - and ask God to show us, by His grace,....Himself!

"Lord, please reveal Your grace in our weaknesses today. Help us to depend on You more and more - and to see that You are more than enough. That You indeed have given us 'everything pertaining to life and Godliness" and today there isn't anything You have called upon us for that is too much for us - for us in You....Thank You Lord!"

God's Grace in Our Weakness

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

In the first few verses of this section the Apostle Paul writes that God opened a door for him to preach in Troas. God made a way, went before him, to Troas, preparing the way for Paul to minister. Paul then says that because his brother (in the Lord) Titus wasn't there....he left! Paul knew he had an open door from the Lord, but he chose not to enter...this is surprising to me. When I think of Paul, I don't think about the fact that he made mistakes like this - knowing God opened a door but not going through it!

I have done that before. My guess is that you have done so as well. But, I just don't think of Paul as doing so! I wonder why the Lord included this of Paul's recording, in Scripture. Maybe to show us that even the Apostle Paul made (what I consider) serious missteps...it's not just me who does so. The recording of this, among other points, speaks to God's grace toward us. I get really disturbed at myself when I see that God has spoken to me, opened a door, given me guidance and direction - and I don't follow. I kick myself. I ask God to forgive me. I determine to do better; to follow the Lord's leading; to not only recognize answer to prayer but to be the answer, as God allows.

But God. I'm glad to know that the chief Apostle Paul had times of (deliberately!) not going through doors God opens. Not that I rejoice that he did so, but that God forgave him, that God still used him, and perhaps used him in spite of himself. Because God perhaps takes weakness (Paul's and mine...and yours) to perfect His power through (2 Corinthian 12:9) ...revealing Paul's, my, your need to depend on God more. Always. Forever.

"Lord, thank You for revealing in Your Word the weakness of even the greatest of Yours, so that I, we can see that You work through our weakness too. Thank You that You redeem even our worst mistakes/sin for Your Glory and Good. You are so gracious, kind, and good. Your Love endures forever. The gates of hell will not prevail against You, Your will, and Your way. Thank You Lord that Paul and we are part of Your Story. We love You Lord."