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.
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.
His Pain, Our Gain
Isaiah 53 is a stunning chapter in the Bible—in what is now commonly referred to as the “Old Testament.”
Approximately 700 years before Jesus walked the earth, Isaiah prophesied about a suffering servant who would also, somehow and in some way, be exalted. A coming Savior, a future Redeemer, the long-awaited Messiah—whose death would ultimately bring life.
A portion of Isaiah 53 says this:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
So, who was this man who would be pierced, crushed, and wounded because of someone else’s sins? Whose undeserved punishment would be the catalyst for healing? Whose life would be given as an offering—so that others might live?
Jesus Christ not only fits the description of the suffering servant who paid the ultimate price to buy His people back, redeem them, and set them free—He ...
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