Sufficient Grace
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." -2 Corinthians 12:9
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Abide
His Strength is Made Perfect in Our Weakness (written for my church's devotional)
Reflect:
Oh, Peter. I get you. In my younger years (and sometimes even more recently), I judged Peter for his wrong actions. I would think things like, “Why would you cut the guy’s ear off? How does that help anything? Don’t you realize that God in the flesh is standing right next to you and is in control of this situation? Ugh. What is wrong with you, Peter?” Then later, when he denies Jesus 3 times, I would think to myself, Oh, I would never, could never do that! How could Peter do such a thing and only hours before have the boldness to declare that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Jesus? I imagine you have had similar thoughts while reading this passage. As God has grown my faith and understanding of who He is, I have come to realize that Peter and I have an awful lot in common. So often, when tense or difficult circumstances arise, I want to do as Peter did in the garden and take matters into my own hands. I fail to trust that God is in control of my circumstances and that even when things seem very bleak and out of control, He is working for my good and His glory. Although I may not flat out ever say that I don’t know Jesus, I know that I deny him with my actions. My attitudes of pride, fear, anger, rebellion, etc. all deny the truth that I know about God.
Apply:
Yet, there is hope! Peter may have messed up, but God made a way of forgiveness through Jesus, and used Peter to build his church! He will continue to use imperfect people like you, me, and Peter as we allow Him to work through us. As Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 12:9, “9 But he said to me, ‘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.” Thanks be to God that he gave us His Spirit to enable us to do His work! So, if you’re feeling like a failure today, know that you’re in good company (people dependent on God’s grace), and most importantly, that you have a generous Savior who helps us in our weakness to magnify His strength! Pray that God will use you today and help you to grow through your failures.
The Triumphal Entry (written for my church's devotional)
John 12
Reflect:
John Chapter 12 contains an account of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. A crowd gathered to celebrate Jesus’ arrival. While they were gathered, Jesus told them that He would die, and through his death and resurrection he would defeat Satan, and bring all people to Himself. The crowd believed, but many were afraid to say so because they were afraid of what other people would think. Scripture says, “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (v. 42-43).
Do I love the glory (or approval) that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God? Do you? I think the resounding truth for all of us is that yes, there are times that we love the approval of humans more than the approval of God. Why is that? Well, sometimes it’s easier for us to see approval of other people because it is physically right in front of us. We audibly hear the accolades from people around us; we visually see the comments on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
In this life, it is so easy to get caught up in seeking the approval of the world. We want flesh and blood assurance that we are accepted. However, the Gospel tells us that our only approval is through the blood of Jesus. He alone loved us enough to carry our sins and die to save us from them. It should follow that we would value the glory that comes from Him more than what comes from man. God alone holds the power to deem us “approved”. The opinion of the world means nothing in light of Jesus’ sacrifice, yet we continually forget, and seek worldly glory. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the approval of the people in your life. The problem lies in seeking that above the approval of God.
Praise God that we can confess this sin to Him, repent and turn from it. We can trust that we are forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty for every sin you and I have ever committed and will ever commit. Why would we seek the glory that comes from anyone else above the glory that comes from Him? When we keep our hearts and minds focused on eternity, the glory of the world pales in comparison to the glory of God.
Apply:
Take some time to talk with God about where you are in this area. Ask Him if there is anything you are doing or avoiding doing because you are afraid of what people will think. Confess that to Him. Repent, and ask Him to give you the grace to be obedient.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Bread of Life
Monday, July 22, 2019
Macaroni & Cheese Faith
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Rainbows
As I reflected on that conversation later, I was touched by the way that God came close to Davyd last night and revealed Himself to him. He does this for all of us in one way or another. The thing is, He doesn't have to. He doesn't need us, or anything for that matter. He is all-sufficient, lacking in nothing, but He desires to be near His people. What a blessing it was to witness my son recognizing God's presence! May I pause often and long enough to do the same.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
The Goodness of the Lord
Lately I’ve been struggling to believe that God will continue to give me good things in this life. Intellectually, I know the ridiculousness of this. God has given me many good things, and continues to do so daily.
The issue is that there are some specific things that I really want— things that I believe to be good desires. I currently can’t see any indication that these things will happen and that’s where I’m getting tripped up. My focus is on myself, and this life, rather than on eternity.
The truth is, in this life, there is uncertainty, pain, and disappointment. We can never be sure that we will get the specific things that we want— even if they are good, holy desires. But we can always see God’s goodness in every circumstance if we choose to see it.
Today I’m asking God to give me a heart that sees the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, because even (and especially) when I’m not getting what I want when I want it, I know that God is working for my good (to make me more like him) and His glory (Romans 8:28).