Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 really struck me. Sometimes I like to go into pity party mode about how awful I have it. Maybe people aren’t being nice to me. Maybe someone has hurt me. Maybe I’m sick (like this past weekend). These verses remind me that I don’t have it so bad. Further, they remind that when I really do have it bad, God is still with me.

Paul said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecute, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

Paul is specifically speaking about the suffering he endured because he was a minister of the gospel. As he looked at his hardships, he didn’t complain that God allowed the hardships, he took comfort that God did not allow the hardships to become overwhelming. Yes, they were afflicted, but God did not allow them to be crushed. Sure, God let them be persecuted, but He never forsook them.

Sin entered the world through Adam, because of that suffering also entered the world. But God has been gracious to me. Sure, I was sick this past weekend, but it didn’t kill me. Of course, if it had, I would then be saying, “Sure, God let me die, but He preserved my soul from eternal torment.” God has not promised us a rose garden. He promised to stick with us wherever we went, as long as we kept walking with Him.

***Question: What do you do to make sure you’re walking with God today?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:1-2:23.

Once again, reading the Bible tells me I have gotten things exactly backwards. No wonder I’ve had so many struggles.

Colossians 1:11-12 says, “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Then Colossians 1:29 says, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

The concept I have unwittingly had for years is if I endure, if I am patient, if I maintain joy, God will then be with me. But that is not what these passages say at all. Rather, they say that if I am with God, He will empower me to endure, He will empower me to be patient. He will empower me to have joy. If I am with God, He will empower me to toil and struggle and overcome. If I am with God, He will empower me to accomplish His work.

No I don’t believe this is saying God has marked out before time those whom He will empower arbitrarily. I must definitely choose to be with God. I must choose to trust Jesus. However, my power will accomplish nothing. If I’m waiting on me to be powerful enough for God to come be with me, I won’t make it. Rather, I must recognize how powerless I am and abandon myself to God. Then the God of power will be with me and empower me.

I need to get rid of this concept of, “God, I’m trying really, really hard to serve you.” Instead, I need to have the concept of, “God, when I try hard, I mess it up. I’m just going to surrender to you and you empower me to struggle, endure, and overcome. Thank you for qualifying me.”