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For when I am weak, then I am strong…. (devo reflection)

2 Corinthians 12:9a But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … 

I cannot think about these verses in 2 Corinthians without thinking about Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Humans think of weakness as a bad thing. God knows His strength can be perfected in us only through our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9b …Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Humans think that boasting is about self: look how great I am. God wants us to boast about His goodness, His presence, His sovereignty in our lives. Humans define individual strength as the ability to do it all without assistance. God says that we can only be truly strong when we rest in Him.

2 Corinthians 12:10a That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties…. 

Precious Savior, Your thoughts are truly nothing like our thoughts, and to rest securely in You, we have to turn our focus from what the world says about strength and weakness, about boasting and resting. Help me to draw closer to You always. Strengthen me in my weaknesses. Help me to shine Your light for all. Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:10b …For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Have a blessed day.

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His steadfast presence and love…. (devo reflection)

2 Corinthians 12:7b …Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 

Two lines from yesterday’s reflection bother me. One is in verse 7, “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” The other was my own, “I’m pretty sure that’s why God places thorns in my life.” I don’t like the idea that God causes my pain, that He inflicts me with trials.

2 Corinthians 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

I am a sinner saved by Grace. Jesus paid the price for my sins. He is with me always. Even when I can’t stand under the weight, He is the reason I can still breathe, because He is with me even in the chaos. I think what’s important is not the trials or where they come from but my Savior and His steadfast presence and love always.

2 Corinthians 12:9a But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” …

Lord, Thank You for the ability to struggle with Your word, to reconcile my struggles with Your fierce, unending love. Thank You that  I don’t have to have all the answers nor understand perfectly in order to use Your word as a light for my path. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me and that Your power is perfected in my weakness. Thank You. Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:9b …Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Have a blessed day.

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Thorns in my life…. (devo reflection)

2 Corinthians 12:7b …Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  

I do not like to suffer. I’m not a fan of being inconvenienced. I’m pretty sure my strong Type A personality–a plan and back up plan for every possibility–developed from my desire to not be put out if at all possible. I’m pretty sure that’s why God places thorns in my life.

2 Corinthians 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

I am wildly independent. I like to be self-sufficient. It’s ok if you need me, but I should not need you. (It feels shocking to say, but think about it. We all love to help others, but we don’t want to be the ones being helped.) God created me and knew that if I had no thorns, I’d come to rely solely on myself instead of centering myself on Him each day.

2 Corinthians 12:9a But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” … 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the way that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for understanding my fiercely independent streak. Thank You for hardwiring me to know that I need you, desperately, in my life. I don’t like weakness, but I am so thankful that I know that I can’t take on the world without You. Your grace is sufficient for me. Your power is perfected in my weakness. Thank You. Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:9b …Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Have a blessed day.

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Re-centering ourselves…. (devo reflection)

1 Thess 5:19-22 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

I am not feeling very peaceful this morning, so the “God of peace” spoke to my weary soul. It’s nothing big, just lots and lots of little things that keep piling up and piling up. Death by a thousand cuts if you will. But God’s peace can be mine even in these conditions.

1 Thess 5:23a May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.

For me, I think, the process of finding that peace at the moment is mental. I am letting these little things pile up until they feel like a huge, towering, impenetrable mass. That’s me. Not God. God can blanket me with peace in all circumstances, current annoying non-crisis included.

1 Thess 5:23b …May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that You are here, You are with me always, that You want to cover me with Your peace, but I have to allow it. Thank You for the perspective on all the little things this morning. I don’t even realize when my focus shifted from You to my mess, but I see that it has. Help me to re-center myself on You. Amen.

1 Thess 5:24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Have a blessed day.

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In all circumstances…. (devo reflection)

1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice always…

I remember the first time I truly paid attention to today’s verses. What struck me was how similar they were to a favorite of mine, Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” “Choose Joy” is a life motto of mine, and I love how both of these verses reflect that idea of choosing joy.

1 Thess 5:17 …pray continually…

And as I have grown, I have learned that even though giving thanks in all circumstances can be incredibly difficult, it is possible. Sometimes I give thanks for answered prayers, sometimes for the fact that I don’t face trials alone, that He is with me. It’s not always easy to give thanks in all circumstances, but it is a skill that can be intentionally cultivated just like rejoicing and praying.

1 Thess 5:18a …give thanks in all circumstances;

Lord, I love it when I can see You pulling the threads of my life together so clearly. Thank You for my love of these verses, for my desire to choose joy, for the realization that thankfulness in all circumstances is possible with You. Help me to center myself on You this day and to live in a way that brings You honor and joy. Amen.

1 Thess 5:18b …for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Have a blessed day.

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Here’s the rub…. (devo reflection)

1 Thess 5:14a And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive,  

With school starting this week, I am squarely in “school mindset,” and I chuckled at how closely these verses apply to both school and life. Try to get the idle and disruptive back on track, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. That can be a pretty tall order, especially that last one.

1 Thess 5:14b …encourage the disheartened, help the weak… 

Here’s the rub, though (or the irony or the kicker), it is often myself that I have the hardest time being patient with. I can patiently cajole and encourage and help others all day long (more or less….) but I expect instant perfection from myself. It’s an objectively ridiculous stance, and yet I guarantee that many of you are nodding in agreement as you read. Jesus, Help us.

1 Thess 5:14c …be patient with everyone.

Lord, Thank you for the wellspring of cajoling, encouragement, help, and patience that I often have for others. Help me to treat myself with the same love and care. I am Your deeply love creation. We all are. Help us to never forget that fact. Amen.

1 Thess 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Have a blessed day.

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My “God gifts”…. (devo reflection)

1 Thess 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

A comment not even directed at me made me doubt my “God gifts” the other day. I am an encourager. Talking with people, praying for people, encouraging people is absolutely a gift that God has given me to use for Him. The doubt came when I realized that there aren’t tangible things associated with my encouragement. I’m not filling pantry shelves or building houses. It’s mostly a verbal gift (though there are lots of notes, emails, and texts as part of it).

1 Thess 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s not the opinion of others that I am worried about, actually. What I do wonder about is whether God is calling me to something more tangible, more physical when it comes to encouragement. I have no idea. But it is definitely something I am now being prayerful about. I want to make God proud with the way I use my gifts for Him.

1 Thess 5:10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Precious Savior, Help us not compare ourselves to others–intentionally or not. You gave each of us gifts to use in Your service, gifts uniquely suited to who we are and how You created us. Thank You for making me an encourager. Help me to see if there is more I can do or give in Your service. Amen.

1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Have a blessed day.

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A tall order…. (devo reflection)

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 

In John 13:34, Jesus gives us a new commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Easy peasy, right? Not so much. Jesus prayed for His persecutors as He was dying on the cross. That is the type of love He is asking of me. It is a tall order.

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 

There are a lot of people who spew hate in this world. There are also folks who do what they do from motives that they see as pure and true, even if their actions cause harm. And I have been known to react strongly in defense of someone of something being unfairly attacked. So I struggle at times with how Jesus’s command to love one another is to be fully lived out.

John 14:17a the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. 

Lord, I know that You don’t intend for us to love only when it is easy or convenient. I also know that You don’t intend for us to love and support evil or wrong. But You tell us, clearly, to love one another as You love us–past our sins, our faults, our shortcomings. Wholeheartedly. Help me to be a positive force for Your love in this world. Show me how. Amen.

John 14:17b …But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Have a blessed day.

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Do not let your hearts be troubled…. (devo reflection)

John 14:27a Peace I leave with you…. 

Today’s verse fills me with calm. As I’ve been pondering what to write, I have been repeating each line, breathing in and breathing out, focusing intentionally. And while the breathing and repetition may not be what Jesus had in mind, the peace that can only come from intentionally focusing on Him isn’t accidental.

John 14:27b …my peace I give you…. 

When I look at the larger context of John 14 and what Jesus is doing, I am humbled and astounded. He knows that He is going to die. He knows that His disciples are anxious and afraid. He reminds them that they can trust Him–He is who He says He is. He will do what He says He will do. He will not abandon them, despite the fact that He is going to die. He *will* be with them, even then.

John 14:27c …I do not give to you as the world gives…. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that Your people are so dear to You that even as You prepared for death, You reassured them because You saw their fear and anxiety. Thank You for the truth that You are with us always, that You cover us with Your peace, no matter what this world throws at us. Help us to rest serenely and securely in You. Always. Amen.

John 14:27d …Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Have a blessed day.

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A rich, full relationship…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 43:24a You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices….

I am guilty of the charge God levels against the Israelites in this passage: not praising as I should but never failing to burden Him with my problems and always, always so unutterably human in my failings. But God’s purpose here is not to shame. You cannot have a rich, full relationship if you don’t share both joys and sorrows.

Isaiah 43:24b …But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.

If all I ever do is come to God when I have problems or when I’ve screwed up, He’s become my therapist, and while therapist-patient can be an incredibly beneficial relationship, it is not close and intimate. God wants all of us. He created us and loves us deeply, warts and all. He wants a relationship with us.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the need for community, relationship. Help me to remember that You desire connection with me, too, not because of anything I can do for You but because my life will be richer, fuller when I allow You near. Amen.

Isaiah 43:26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.

Have a blessed day.