Daily Devotions - Tuesday But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 We all have weaknesses. Paul uses a great metaphor to remind us how fragile we are, “[We] have this treasure [the Gospel] in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Like clay jars, we crack under pressure, experience brokenness, and sometimes fail completely. Unbelievably, there are benefits to weakness. Maybe you know Paul’s story. He had a persistent, perplexing problem. He asked God three times to take away his pain. Yet God refused, whispering, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” So, here are three promises to keep in mind about weakness: First, God’s power is present in your weakness. Don’t repeatedly resist or resent your limitations. Paul became the church’s greatest scholar and missionary while experiencing his challenges. Second, God works through weakness to accomplish his task. Let physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual weakness become part of God’s providential plan for your life. Some speculate that Paul’s letters may never have been written if he was not doubly limited, both physically and because he was in prison for many of them. And finally, God allows limitations to become blessings in disguise. Paul goes on to say, “For when I am weak, then I am strong - the less I have, the more I depend upon Him” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul might never have become a great communicator of the Gospel if he had been distracted by other things. His physical pain made him fully dependent on God. Your limitations are opportunities to trust God’s promises more and to have a greater dependence on him. The more insufficient you are, the more sufficient his grace becomes! What did you hear? What do you think about that? What will you do? Now talk to God…
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 14:57:44 +0000