Tag Archives: 2 Corinthians 12:9

Boasting in Weakness

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Wisteria Verse

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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  2 Corinthians 12:9

I’m beginning to understand the value of having a thorn in my life. I need the constant reminder that Jesus is bigger than that. Once I jumped into the sweet reality that my weakness is something to boast about, the thorn stopped nagging me, albeit for that moment. Thorns will always grow on the stem of a rose or on a vine of a thistle, but I choose to believe that God has transformed my stubborn heart, like thorny weeds choking life, into a beautiful budding rose, a rose that’s noticed more than the thorns because of God’s all-sufficient grace.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses! This week, it dawned on me as I was fighting with that thorn and asking God to please take it away for ever, that I had never thanked him for that thorn. I had never taken the jump into experiencing God’s grace. Jumping into joy by praising God for my weakness.

My conversation with God went something like this:

“Okay, God! Here I am boasting about this junk! Do you hear me? I am so tired with dealing with this again and again. I’ve begged you to take it away for ever but it’s still weighing me down. I need your grace and power because I am about to fail again! Thank you, God for this wonderful trial and constant temptation so I can depend on you for strength to overcome. I’m counting on the truth of your Word. I believe, please help my unbelief. I believe I am more than a conqueror because of Jesus. Show me Jesus, now!”

There is something wonderfully sweet about feeling the prick of the Holy Spirit in my heart. To even feel a sense of happiness for that thorn. It’s there for me to celebrate and jump into God’s sufficiency. He did show me Jesus! Praising God for that!

My heart naturally resists depending on God when I am weak. The noise in my heart, amplified by tough self-sufficiency, can drown out the Holy Spirit’s reminder: “my power is perfect in your weakness.” God meets me at the point of my prideful self-sufficiency and lovingly brings me to my knees in worshipful dependence.   ~Tricia Wilkerson 

Linking up with Five Minute Friday: JUMP

 

Encouraging and Notable Voices

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The sun is shining so warm and bright, with sunbeams cascading through the windows. I’ve always loved sitting in a sunbeam.  When I was much younger, I would grab a big pillow, a blanket and a book…get comfortable on the carpet and soak up the sun shining through my bedroom window. I still enjoy doing that!  In fact, today afforded a surprising treat with time to soak in the simple pleasure of enjoying a sunbeam from an oversized plush chair.  This is just what I needed!  I brewed a cup of tea, grabbed a Bible, motivational books and my iPad to scroll through Twitter and to look through my photo collection.  I love rediscovering encouraging and notable voices!

Here are three fantastic passages of scripture that have encouraged me today, as well as a few notable voices that have inspired my faith, added fuel to a depleted “motivation tank,” and challenged me to have a right and correct attitude.

Here you go!

Photography by Donna Harris ❘ Remember the Year

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it. Psalm 118:24

By God’s GRACE, I am…

A child of the Father. Forever forgiven. Completely supplied. GRACE.

Fully accepted. Indwelt by the Spirit. Friend of the Savior. GRACE.

Loved with no ending. Viewed now as righteous. Sin cleansed and covered. GRACE.

(Quoted from Paul David Tripp  Twitter feed ‏@PaulTripp)

Romans 8-38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Roger Crawford, author of:  How High Can You Bounce ❘ Turn Setbacks Into Comebacks was sixteen years old before he could tie his shoes, even then Velcro made it possible. But he excelled in other areas such as sports, becoming a star tennis player. You can look at Roger and see that he has a disability. As Roger explains it, however, most people’s disabilities cannot be seen, but they’re just as real and in many cases more pronounced than his. [1]

“I think it’s important for every young person whether they have a physical challenge or not to find something in their life that they can become passionate about.”

“People often ask me if I ever speak to groups of disabled people. And my answer is ‘Yes, every talk I give.’ The point is that disabilities come in different forms, including emotional and intellectual, but the most disabling of all is attitudinal.”

“We can control what we dwell on, and I think that is a vitally important principle no matter who we are or what we do. Having a better attitude is a daily choice, and how we think creates the window through which we see our life experience.”

Roger Crawford : Turning the Pessimism of “I can’t” Into the Unstoppable Power of “I Can!”

 

2 Corinthians 12-9

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

My wish for you is to take time to sit in a sunbeam. Enjoy a good book. Close your eyes and mediate on God’s truth. Be inspired and encouraged. More Grace!

[1] Something to Smile About: Encouragement and Inspiration for Life’s Ups and Downs; Zig Ziglar, Tying Your Shoes, p. 13, Thomas Nelson publishers