Much, Much better today! Thanks so much for all the prayers as you read. This cold/flu stuff is not nice. I cannot remember ever hurting as much for such. Now that I am doing much better, it is time to get on with matters at hand. There is always more than I can do in a day, if I open my eyes. So I lean on our Lord within me to accomplish what is before me. He is good and strengthens my weakness.
In fact, Paul said his weakness was what he would brag about, not any supposed strength of his own. In 2 Corinthians 12, after Paul had talked about his visions etc, he said this, “Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited I was given a thorn in my flesh, a mesasenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with The Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Now this is definitely not putting your best foot forward. (Side note: the teachings of the world are never useful in regard to the government of the Kingdom of God. His ways are very different than any form or self-exaltation). He stood head-and-shoulders above any other apostles in visions and revelations. Yet, this was not what he chose to brag about. He was instead willing to brag about his weaknesses.
I do not believe Paul's “thorn” was any form of illness, simply because the use of that term in the Scripture is always associated with irritation, temptations, testings, etc…. So I believe he was given a constant reminder of some sort of the fact that he was a very weak and easily tested human being. That being so, it becomes even more amazing that he was who he was.
Accepting our weakness is the first real step in understanding the strength of our Savior. He is strong and I can simply trust Him for the strength needed to accomplish for my day. I need not be undone because I find myself week. Neither do I need to give weakness its intended result – making my reslove weak in Him. Instead, leaning into His strength, I am strengthened in ways I never thought possible and led to accomplish matters too difficult for me.
I have my limitations; He has none. Glory. Now that is truly awesome. That means, me released in Him and He released in me is able – whatever. His goodness is amazing.
What about 1 Peter? Oh I will probably get back there soon. Just have a few items on my heart to share, so am taking the space to do just that.
I am typing this on my iPad Mini, and learning to use the program designed for blogging. I have done some with it before, but find I use my iPad much more than my computer, and it is usually with me. So there you are. Blessings on all who read.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Welll written!