I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
How Weakness Becomes Strength
Think of a situation you wish you could change, and then imagine what the apostle Paul must have been going through in 2 Corinthians 12.
Paul was suffering, and so he repeatedly begged God to remove his pain. But God doesn’t change Paul’s situation. Instead, God tells Paul that His “grace is enough” for him.
Charis, the ancient Greek word for “grace,” conveyed the favor God showed humanity when He sent Jesus to earth for us.
Before Jesus, people couldn’t draw near to God on their own. But Jesus made a way for anyone to experience intimacy with God. A relationship with God isn’t something we earn—it’s a free gift we receive when we accept that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead.
So when God tells Paul that His “grace is sufficient,” what He’s essentially saying is: “I am enough for you.”
God could meet Paul’s needs because God was all Paul needed—and God was with Paul. The influence Paul had was only because God chose to show off His power through him.
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-7 NIV (emphasis added)
We are all like “jars of clay”—simple and not that impressive. But when we submit our lives to God, we become containers that showcase His power.
Like Paul, we can then boast about how weak we are so that way God gets the credit for every great thing that happens to us.
Our situations might not change, but our cry often changes from, “God please remove this suffering,” to, “God, when I suffer—show me how You are using this for Your glory and my good.”
So whatever you’re facing, know that God is near. He sees you, and He loves you. Take some time today and ask God to show you how He is empowering you. Draw near to Him, and let Him strengthen you.
“Now the sons of Issachar were, Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimrom, four. And the sons of Tola; Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola: they were valiant men of might in their generations; whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred. And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men. And with them, by their generations, after the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men: for they had many wives and sons. And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies fourscore and seven thousand. The sons of Benjamin; Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three. And the sons of Bela; Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valour; and were ...
Called to Contentment
Observing Sabbath-rest allows us to step into the same rhythm God established in creating the world. Scripture tells us when God rested from His work, it was because His work was complete (Genesis 2:1). God took joy in His accomplishment.
In Hebrews 4:10, the writer draws a parallel between God's rest and ours: "For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." We're invited to delight in His presence and share in God’s divine contentment.
This rest isn't about taking a break from good works. It’s about surrendering the need to control by trusting in the completeness of God’s work. Our "rest" releases us from the burden of proving ourselves good enough to earn His love and approval. These things have been secured through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. When we step into this rhythm of rest, we can find contentment that spills over into every part of our lives.
Is God calling you to stop trying to do everything on ...
