Constant Grace

I'm praying 2 Corinthians 12: 9 - 10 for you all today.

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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the thorn in his side that is harassing and tormenting him. He says it 'was a messenger of Satan, to harass me.' In verse 8, he asks the Lord THREE times to remove it. And God's reply is, "My grace is sufficient for you..."

God did NOT remove the thorn. Have you ever wondered why? Surely it would've been very easy for Him to just remove it and let Paul move on with life. He didn't. Why? Only God knows, really, but perhaps it was so that Paul could learn to depend on Jesus even more. Perhaps it was a gift, although Paul certainly didn't see it that way. He asked for deliverance from it. The thorn in Paul's side, whatever it was, seemed to have annoyed him. It distracted him. He was always aware of it's presence.  But God had a purpose for Paul's thorn.  He used it to teach Paul about contentment, weakness and strength. Contentment in weakness. Contentment in insults.  Contentment in hardships and persecutions. Contentment in calamities. When we are weak, God is strong.

I find this incredibly challenging. Contentment in weakness? In hardships? Really? Is that even possible? Well...yes. I am becoming content with my weaknesses. When I was at my weakest point, God's strength took over and things changed. I changed. I am learning to boast about how weak I am.  The note in my study bible for verse 9 says that "'is sufficient' reveals the constant availability of divine grace.  God would not remove the thorn, as Paul had requested, but would continually supply him with grace to endure it.  The weaker the human instrument, the more clearly God's grace shines forth."

I love that!  

Constant availability of divine grace...constant.  Dictionary.com uses words like 'not changing, unceasing, continual, persistent, steadfast, faithful and unswerving in love' to define 'constant'.  

We all have limitations. Many of you have reached or are close to reaching yours. I am praying for you today. Praying that you'll find contentment in your weakness and hardship. Praying that you know that know that you KNOW that His grace IS sufficient for you. Boast GLADLY in your weaknesses, friends, and let His power rest upon you today.  His divine grace is constant.  Boast in that!

Love to you,

Nothing

Have you read Romans 8 lately?  If not, I encourage you to find 10 minutes today, sit down, take a deep breath and read it.  You won't regret it.  I've read through Romans 8 a few times this morning and prayed much of it over you, friends.  Romans 8 is full of LIFE and HOPE.  It's full of REDEMPTION and PROMISE.  And so much LOVE.

Today I pray that you will each KNOW that NOTHING can separate you from God's love.  You may have said or done things yesterday (or just now) that you regret.  You may feel unlovable and ashamed.  You may feel unworthy and hopeless.  I pray that you will find hope in this:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, 

"For your sake we are being killed all the day long; 

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."  

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Do you ever feel as though you're 'being killed all the day long' or is it just me?  Do you ever feel like you're regarded as a sheep to be slaughtered?  I am so thankful for the next words...we are more than conquerors.  The note in my study bible says, "means to over-conquer, to conquer completely, without any real threat to personal life or death."  Praise God!  And look at all those 'nors', friends.  I personally love 'nor anything else.'  That covers all the bases, don't you think?  Nothing NOTHING nothing can separate me or you from God's love.  Nothing.

In the words of John Piper, "Not only can we not be separated from the love that Christ has for us, but that love is so powerfully for us, at all times, that it turns every circumstance into a triumph."  In ALL these things, we MORE THAN conquer through Him who loves us.  I pray that you will grasp this...and that it will grasp you today.  Go read Romans 8.  Trust me.

Love,