Oct 11 2024

Today's Bible Verse

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

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In this morning's verse, Paul writes about how the Lord has not answered one of his prayers. He wanted to be healed of something, but the Lord said no. Instead, He promises that His grace will be enough for Paul. Paul's response is that he will honor God in his weaknesses so that he can experience the power of Christ.

This verse might be a little hard to understand, much less accept. We're human, and humans want things. We might want a better place to live, or for our annoying neighbors to move away, or for our family life and career to be more settled. And, we may convince ourselves that God wants these same things for us. Surely it's His will for us to live comfortable lives, right?

But this verse gives us a very different picture. Paul was faithful to the Lord—the Lord did not withhold healing because of anything Paul did. Instead, it was the Lord's will that some degree of preventable suffering exist in Paul's life. The reason was not to test Paul's faith, but rather, so that God's strength might be made perfect in weakness.

God can work through our lives when we suffer to minister to other people. Our brokenness can be like a beacon demonstration of God's love and sustaining power. While it is perfectly natural and acceptable for us to pray for healing and for other wishes in our lives, we should also pray that the Lord would help us to honor Him before the healing comes.

We do not have to see suffering as futile. Every wound we've experienced becomes an opportunity to realize the sufficiency of Christ alone. Like Paul, we can begin to pray to that end, asking for God to be glorified in our weakness.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being such a loving God and caring about our pain. You don't want to see us suffer. You know the suffering that we face, and I ask that you would please redeem it and bring it to an end. In the midst, Lord, I believe that you are sufficient. I ask that your strength will be made perfect in our weakness. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Oct 10 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. :

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Yesterday's Bible study

When the Lord commanded Moses to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan, Moses was afraid. The land was dangerous, he knew there would be battles, and the Israelites had already revealed the fickleness of their faith. The Lord responded to Moses with the words in this morning's verse: that He would go with Moses and give him rest. The Lord has promised the same thing for us today.

The antidote to fear is faith: having no doubt that God is with us at all times. The Lord knows that His presence has the power to silence all fears. When we become confident that the Lord is with us, we do not have to be afraid of anything—because the Lord is all-powerful and loving. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Nothing will ever take away or call into question His love for us.

As for Moses… he was facing the impossible. He was about to take a nomadic tribe into battle against ancient, powerful cities. On the surface, he had good reason to be afraid; everything seemed to be stacked against him. However, Moses served a God who had been mightily faithful to His people, and knowing that the Lord would go into battle with the Israelites gave Moses the courage to press on.

Sometimes, God calls us to do difficult and even impossible things. That thing may be issuing an apology, or forgiving someone, or being holy in all areas of our lives. Sometimes it's moving across the world to be a missionary or reaching out to someone new. Whatever you are considering, you can rest assured that just as the Lord was with Moses, His presence is also with you.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being near me always, even when I struggle to see you and follow you. Help me to turn my fears back to you. When I feel afraid, help me to use it as an opportunity to reflect on your promises and love for me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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