Thursday, October 10: 2Corinthians 12- A lesson learned.

As I read Paul’s statements in verses 7-10, I found myself focusing on verse 10 bolded below.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. 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.

The fact that Paul delighted in weakness is what amazes me. God taught Paul a lesson that would be difficult for me and likely most of us to learn yet Paul gets it. In fact, Paul didn’t just get it, his life-pattern changed to embrace what God had taught him. Paul wrote that he delighted in weakness.

God’s challenge slipped into my thinking. Do I embrace what God teaches? Do I internalize the lessons God sends my way?

In my life there is a gap between what I know from God’s Word and how well I live what I know. Paul’s life seems to have a much smaller gap…

Today’s time with God is challenging me to narrow my gap!

Lord, I am marveling at Paul. He seems so willing to live and change and You desire. Change (growth) is more of a struggle for me. There are fits and starts. Old voices I thought were silenced, speak up at surprising moments. The other day I got angry at things not happening. As I was trying to complete a banking service, I was directed to the Internet. Thoughts and words erupted that surprised me. They did not honor You.

What dark place do these come from?

I pray for diligence to keep on persevering, that I might delight in the things that delight You. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

 


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