KEY VERSES:
II Corinthians 12:7-107And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
REFLECTIONS:
Isn’t it easy to be overwhelmed by our circumstances and then realize that we are trying to take care of a certain situation on our own rather than giving it to the Lord? Even though the end result is not always what we might pray for, there is a peace that comes from giving it to the Lord and depending on Him.Paul prayed for the Lord to take away His thorn in the flesh, but God refused. We see how that even though the Lord used Paul in a mighty way, his life was not always easy.
In verse 9, the Lord tells Paul that His grace is sufficient. I have heard grace defined as “God’s provision for us at the point of our need.” Even though it may not seem that the Lord is meeting our need, He sees so far beyond what we can see, and often times allows trials in our lives to make us stronger or more Christlike.We can become proud if we try to do things on our own, but Paul admitted his weaknesses and was made strong in the Lord (v. 10).
Just like Paul, we, too, can sense God’s power in our lives. When we allow Him to work in our lives we can grow spiritually, become more like Him, and have a close relationship with Him.APPLICATION:
When I was a child the Lord led my dad on two different occasions to move our family. The first time was from Garland, Texas, to Hammond, Indiana. I thought my heart would break as I said goodbye to grandparents that I was so close to and a school where I was comfortable. The second time was five years later when the Lord led my dad into full-time evangelism and back to Garland. I was so enjoying my life as a young teenager in a wonderful church and youth group. Even though my heart seemed to break once again, I look back and am thankful for the way the Lord was working in my life, even as a child, and helping me learn to lean on Him.Thank you for being a part of the 40 Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Carolyn
SAVED: June 6, 1957
FAMILY: Husband Denny, Children Denny III and Melody, 5 grandchildren
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Psalms
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: Lamentations 3:22-24