16 Thursday Aug 2012
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In today’s reading, we see how God works when He has work for us to do. Paul went from being a prisoner to having his own Centurion bodyguards. When God’s plan is being fulfilled, there is nothing He won’t do to make it happen. I tend to worry about the silly things in life, but God is so much more capable of getting things done than we allow Him to do.
02 Thursday Aug 2012
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Verses 14-16 in today’s reading are tough ones for me, 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Don’t get me wrong, I trust in God wholeheartedly, but my human understanding sometimes gets in the way. Earlier in the chapter, Paul uses the example of Jacob and Esau; one of the twins He had mercy and the other He allowed to be hardened. It doesn’t make sense to me, but God’s plan is perfect. He does things for a specific purpose in mind and I need to accept it and wait to see how it plays out. As I get older, I am beginning to understand there are something’s I will never understand. There are some things I don’t need to understand. I simply need to trust God and know He can turn what seems to be a bad thing into something that is used for His glory. More importantly, grace comes from God alone. There is nothing I can do to receive any more or less of it. It comes from one source, and that is God’s perfect sovereignty.
20 Friday Jul 2012
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Paul ends the book of 2 Corinthians reminding us that even though we are weak as humans we are still strong through the power of the Father. Verse 4 states it well, For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you. Christ is the ultimate example of allowing weakness so that God’s power can shine through. Even in the crucifixion of Christ, the power of God ultimately won. Think about how this applies to us. If we are willing to humble ourselves to realize our weakness and turn over the glory and power to God, how much more could we accomplish in this life. The key is to remember we are not the ones accomplishing it, but the Father through us.
19 Thursday Jul 2012
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Verse 9 is a powerful verse that speaks to me every time I read it, 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. We are nothing without Christ. Whether we do good or bad it pales in comparison to Him. Because of our weakness, it shows God’s strength all the more. In order for us to be truly effective in this life, we must rely on God instead of relying simply on our own energy, effort, or talent. Further, our weakness develops our character and deepens our relationship with God because we are forced to admit our weakness in order to affirm God’s power and strength in our lives. As for me, I am encouraged by my weakness when I know I don’t have to be the source of all my strength. Praise God for His perfect presence in my life.
02 Monday Jul 2012
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There is not a lot to learn share from this chapter other than the fact that Paul truly loved the people he talks about. You can tell by the way he describes each of them that he truly cares for them. I hope I am the same way with the people I know and care about. There are times when I know I could be a better person and love others more. I am an imperfect being who realizes I need God more and more each day. There is not a single day that goes by where I do not need the strength He provides. It is the days I turn my eyes from Him where I fall flat on my face. Lord help me to remember how much I need You each day. Protect me and those around me from everything this world can do to harm us. Help us to be renewed each day so that we may serve You better. It is only through God’s strength and power we can be all He wants us to be.
17 Sunday Jun 2012
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God has more power and more wisdom than we could ever hope to have. In verse 25 it says, For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Paul wrote this verse because he had just previously talked about how the Jews needed miracles and the Greeks needed wisdom to believe. God is not in the business of performing for us in order to prove himself to us. He is in the business of meeting us where we need Him. He is all the power and wisdom that I need and I can see that more and more each day as I build my relationship with Him.
15 Sunday Apr 2012
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It is sometimes easy to take God’s provision and act as if we had done it ourselves. When Peter and John took part in the healing of the crippled beggar, they were very clear as to where the power of healing had come from; verse 6, Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Even after the fact, when they were in the temple, Peter and John made it clear that the power was not their own but from the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. They wanted to make sure everyone was clear who the glory belonged to. This is the perfect example of how we should be about everything we have and do. Without the power and blessings of God we can do nothing. It is by His grace and mercy that we are blessed.
Daily Devotion 