2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (New Living Translation)
7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I BOAST about my weakness. Being a selfish, struggling mother is my weakness that is used to show God's power. I used to think that the "thorn" was my weakness, but my weakness is truly found in my response to the thorn. God places things or circumstances in our lives that we may beg of Him to remove. By not removing it, a platform is in place to show God's power!!!! Wow! Listen to some out of her book:
I long for the grace of God to be so engraved on our minds and hearts that we will be freed from a lifetime of attitudes, misconceptions, and independence which keep us from appropriating His grace in all its sufficiency.
Deliverance from the power of sin comes as you cease your striving in the flesh and cast yourself in dependence upon Him. When you are dependent upon Him, you will find His grace is always sufficient.
Defeated Christians have little power and are not effective because they fail to appropriate God's grace. Grace is power.
I have been in such a funk lately full of unhappiness. During this time I have stayed in the Word and keeping my heart prostrate out of humility mostly but also in pleading with the Lord for His help. I don't want to remain in this "defeated Christian" place. Thank you, Lord for your GRACE that helps me make it today!
7 comments:
I love that we are studying this together. What I think I learned about this that was fresh was that grace and power are interchangeable. His grace is sufficient....His grace is perfected "completed" in my weakness. My weakness shows me that it is all grace that I make it through anything. Good post. Thanks.
This is good, Rachel! He uses EVERYTHING for our good!
Very cool Rachel ... see you in the morning!
Grace. Ahhhhh. Needed that today. . .
Hey Rachel! I miss reading your blog, glad I stopped by!
What a great post, I relate so much!!
great post, friend. needed that...
Appreciate the sincerity about being in a funk. I,too, am in those places often and cry out to the Lord, except lately I have mostly just cried out and yet not been in the Word. Your continual pursuit in the midst of hardship inspires and convicts me to do the same. Thanks so much. Your last paragraph really connected with me.
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