September 11, 2022
CHRIST’S STRENGTH IN MY WEAKNESS Paul told the Corinthians that he had learned to glory in his weaknesses, for it was in weakness that he had experienced the power of Christ at work in and through him. He had learned that real strength comes out of weakness which, distrustful of itself, gives itself up to
September 12, 2018
PAUL’S CONCERN. GOD’S CONCERN.
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians expressed his concern and desire for the church he had planted there. He was planning to visit them for the third time, but he had heard many worrisome things about how they had not given up their “old sins.” He didn’t want his future visit to be one of difficult discipline, but of joyful reunion. Because he loved them like a father, he was ready to do either, but preferred the latter.
I think we see something of the Father’s heart in Paul’s parental care for the Corinthians. I wonder. If we would receive a letter from Jesus today, would it express similar concern? Would Jesus warn us that he is coming soon, expressing His concern that He won’t like what He finds?
September 11, 2018
CHRIST’S STRENGTH IN MY WEAKNESS
Paul told the Corinthians that he had learned to glory in his weaknesses, for it was in weakness that he had experienced the power of Christ at work in and through him. He had learned that real strength comes out of weakness which, distrustful of itself, gives itself up to God.
The weak learn to lean on God. Just as the Israelites in the wilderness learned to gather enough manna for the day, so we can learn to depend on Christ’s power for the troubles of today. The Lord will empower us to face each day when we call on Him, for the Scripture says, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25).
Do you own the strength and resources to accomplish the dreams God has given you? Then, your dreams are too small and your labors are too self-dependent. Yet God calls us to things too big for us to do without Him.
Paul’s pedigree was admitting his weakness and reliance on Christ’s power. He never claimed to be a hero. He lifted up Christ as the Hero!
Do you feel weak today? Don’t see it as an excuse for inaction, but as the perfect opportunity to call on Christ’s power!
September 11, 2017
In the climax of Paul’s “boastings,” he spoke of himself in the third person as a man who was “caught up to the third heaven.” Perhaps he felt it too immodest to speak of himself in the first person as one who had been entrusted with such a heavenly experience. Yet, he shared it with the Corinthians as a part of his apostolic resume to refute those who had challenged his authority.
Some have read too much into Paul’s reference to the “third heaven,” imagining three levels or more in spiritual elevation. A simpler explanation would be to understand it as the Jews of that day did. In their view, the first heaven was the blue sky at day, the second, the night sky with its starry host, and the third, the unseen heaven, where God and His heavenly host dwelt. Paul used the phrase “caught up” to describe his experience, which in the Latin Vulgate was translated “raptured” (Greek: “harpazó,” Latin: “raptum”). His experience was so beyond comprehension that he didn’t know whether it was “in the body” or “out of the body.”
Paul did not go into detail about what he had experienced, only saying that he heard “inexpressible words.” He apparently experienced first hand what Isaiah had prophesied and what he had written about in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (Isa. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9).
May 28, 2017 | 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 |
The world makes heroes of the bold, the beautiful and the strong. Hollywood actors, professional athletes, self-promoting politicians… these are the ones that we elevate to power and influence. They receive glory and praise from the world. But that’s not how God works, He loves to take the humble, the small, and the weak and lift them up to such great influence that everyone gives glory, not to them, but to God.
Where do you feel weak today? Are you hurting? Some may feel tortured by physical or mental pain. Are you feeling inadequate? You don’t have enough money, or you feel inadequate as a parent, or you’ve been asked to do something that seems beyond you. Are you feeling overwhelmed by difficult circumstances? You’re unhappy and discontent. How can God take your weakness and turn it into strength?
September 11, 2012
We are always tempted to lean on our own strength, thinking, bank account… But stripped of these, we learn to depend on Christ. Some of us are slow learners and need continual reminders. God is teaching us to rely on Him. Are you learning where to lean?