His Strength in Our Weakness

His Strength in Our Weakness

Carolyn

When my children were younger, for a short season, I would send them a verse for the day and write about it. This is one that I came across a week or two ago that I needed myself to be reminded of. I’m not sure who first said, “preach the gospel to yourself,” but it is a valuable instruction to remind ourselves again and again of truth. This particular truth I think of as my “lifesong.”

Have you ever felt like you can’t do it? You can’t live the Christian life well? It’s just too hard?

Or why not just keep going like things are—isn’t that good enough? Do we really need to try to do better? or be better? And is that even possible in a world stained by sin? Can we possibly improve ourselves, much less make a positive difference in this world?

If you’ve ever struggled with these things, those questions, then I think you are in a really good place. Does that sound strange? What?! Feeling as though I can’t do it is a good place to be? Wouldn’t it be better to feel like I am competent and able and strong and doing really well?

I introduce you today to my life verses, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

Paul has been talking about a thorn in his flesh that was given to him, and he had pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from him.

“And He [the Lord] said to me [Paul], ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefor I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NKJV)

Think about that. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. If we could do it all, if we had all it takes, why would we need Him? But when we wrestle in our Christian walk of faith, when we see this is too much, it’s too hard, it’s when we begin to realize, yes, it’s too hard! But not for Christ! He is strong, He is greater than it all, and He is able by the power of His Holy Spirit to work in you for his good pleasure, your great joy and good, and His glory.

See your inability, your weakness, not as something to discourage you, but to lead you to Christ. He does still call us to act and obey, to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12), to “put off” sin and “put on” godliness (Col. 3), but He will help us. Keep calling out to Him for help.

He forgives us when we repent (1 John 1:9). He hears us when we cry. He answers us when we call. Let Him give you His strength to live each day. Sometimes it may be up and down and hard, but keep looking to Him, keep seeking Him, keep believing He is able and will lead you. Let His strength help you in your weakness.

We can’t live this life in our own strength. (We can try, we may feel we can for a bit, but it will always fail!)  When we understand and see the truth and beauty of that reality, then we are able to accept something which is so much better: we live this life in His strength, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we come to You this day acknowledging our sinfulness and the things that so easily beset us and discourage us. Help us to give up ourselves and turn to You who is able to keep us from falling and is able to give us the strength that we need to obey and follow You with great joy. We are human, we surely fail, but we have You, our God who is greater than all our sin, who rejoices when we repent, who waits patiently for us, and who will supply us with all we need for life and godliness. We love and praise You this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Happy 16th Birthday!

Happy 16th Birthday!

Carolyn

It’s been sixteen years since we welcomed our baby girl three months too early at 27 weeks along in the pregnancy. She was 2 pounds, 3 ounces, and 14 inches.

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The early days in the hospital – reminds me of Matt. 10:30, “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

We celebrate each year again and remember the miraculous works in the midst of suffering that God accomplished, and we give praise and thanks.

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3 months old and leaving the hospital on her original due date, still less than 5 pounds

I feel as though I’ve written about this many times (here and here, for example), but it’s always a reminder to me that we have a miracle-working God who is involved in all life’s details. I want to once again tell of his greatness and not let this significant day pass without remembering once again.

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Today

Thank you to all who have prayed for her through the years. You are part of this story, and we are so grateful!

My Brief Political Post

My Brief Political Post

Carolyn

I wrote this many years ago, but pull it out every four years to reflect upon again:

  • I’m thankful for a Sovereign God who is seated on the throne in the heavens and whose kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19).
  • I’m thankful to know that He alone raises up and brings down leaders and rulers (Daniel 2:21).
  • I’m thankful that He alone is great and worthy of all praise (Psalm 145:3), worthy as the Lamb who was slain to receive all power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise (Rev. 5:12).
  • I’m thankful that He sets my feet on the Rock (Psalm 40:2) and keeps me secure.
  • In Him, I have complete confidence and hope, and I have no cause for fear.
  • He is my Rock, fortress, deliverer, strength, salvation, and shield (2 Samuel 22; Psalm 18).
  • He will not forsake those who trust in Him (Psalm 9:10).

May we be particularly prayerful during this political season. May we love those around us and pray for unity in our country. And may God’s good and perfect will be done.

(*Note: I haven’t watched much of either convention—just a few parts here and there, nothing today. This is in no way timed around any certain event or happening. Just a piece that came to mind tonight as I looked for something to post during my 30-day blogging challenge!)

Praying for You

Praying for You

Carolyn

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I’ve been thinking about the “pray without ceasing” command in particular this week. This week I’ve seen friends dealing with death, hospitalization, waiting on test results, traveling, kids heading to college, and the list goes on. I find myself saying over and over, “I’ll be praying for you.” Perhaps you’ve seen the same thing on Facebook or said the same thing. But what does that mean? What do my prayers for others look like?

I suppose if we are to “pray without ceasing,” it indicates hearts that are prayerful, bent towards prayer, praying as we come and go through our days and the situations in them, so we can pray right then for those we commit to pray for. But do I also take the time to really invest in prayer and to pray in faith (James 1:6), asking God to increase my faith where I sense I doubt (Mark 9:24)?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us how to pray (Matt. 6:5-13). Do I take time to get on my knees in a posture of humility and prayer, and find a private place to pray (6:5-6)? Again, do I come in faith, or do I simply come with words (6:7-8)?

From the Lord’s Prayer, we learn to pray by hallowing Jesus’ name and according to his will. We pray for our daily needs and seek God’s forgiveness as we forgive others. We pray deliverance from evil and protection from temptation. We acknowledge God’s glory, power, and kingdom. Each of these includes the aspects of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (ACTS as an acronym to help guide us in prayer).

Those verses enlarge my prayers as I consider things bigger and higher than only what I can see. Next time I say “I’ll pray for you,” rather than simply uttering a few words as I go to be sure I have done what I say, why don’t I also note it on my phone or a notepad in my purse? Then when I sit down to pray, add their names to my journal and pray through the list. Don’t simply depend on my memory, though I can pray for them as often as they come to mind, too. Pray Scripture and pray in faith, believing God to do more than I ask, think, or imagine by his power at work (Eph. 3:20). And record the answers. Nothing is too hard for God (Jer. 32:17). And like the disciples, perhaps we can simply ask, “Teach us to pray.”

Matthew 6:9-13: “Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.”

Dressed in Readiness

Dressed in Readiness

Carolyn

One of the things I’m most convinced of is the life-changing power of reading God’s Word regularly. When my kids were young, I had not become convinced of that. I felt I knew a lot of what was in the Bible, and it wasn’t a big deal if I couldn’t find time for it with the demands of being a mom. I did, however, find plenty of time for my baby books and magazines! (I suppose we find time for what matters most to us!) I wondered why my friends were always running off to a new Bible study. And when I would hear my friend pray the Scriptures, I would think it showy.

I certainly wasn’t hostile to the Bible though. I believed it to be true. But that belief hadn’t moved me to action, and I had a pride of thinking I knew it all anyway. I had a lot of knowledge about the Bible, but other people can only give you that information for so long. At some point, you have to embrace it on your own and do something with it. It wasn’t transforming me in the way it could if I read and studied on my own.

What I found, though, was when I began to read and study the Bible consistently every day, seeking the Lord in prayer, my life began to change. It’s like a child beginning to grow up. You don’t notice their physical growth every day, but if you see a child a year or two later, how surprised you are at how they have grown! We don’t necessarily recognize or experience that spiritual growth each day, but it is happening, and then moments will come where you see how God has been transforming us! And this ongoing process of growth will take place as long as we live!

About 14 years ago, when I first began to read the Bible each day through joining a Bible study with friends, I thought what I was learning was really good. I was surprised by how it spoke to certain situations I was going through. Gradually, little by little, I was starting to have more of a desire to read the Bible than to do other things, like watching TV. (Note: I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with watching TV, but for me at that time, I really watched too much. It was the way I relaxed in the evenings after putting the kids to bed.)

One evening, after cleaning the kitchen and after everyone was asleep, as I began to sit down to watch whatever was on TV that night, I thought I haven’t done my Bible study today. I could do that instead. But I quickly dismissed it with this thought: Oh, but it’s been good the last few days, but it’s already helped me with everything I’m going through. There’s really nothing more it can say to me right now. 

I’m still shocked by that arrogance and lack of understanding and expectation of what God’s Word said and could do! Today I know that going to the Bible is to worship and behold God and see what it says first about him, then me in light of that; to understand the Scriptures as I observe, interpret, and then apply to my life; that God’s Word is living and active and can speak anew each time by the power of His Spirit at work. But such it was at that time, and God was patient with me, to teach me slowly and guide me faithfully by His Spirit.

As I sat down to watch TV, on what had seemed to be a quiet evening with calm weather, a huge thunderstorm came up seemingly out of nowhere. I still held a slight fear of storms because of this incident, so as the power flickered and warnings came on the TV, I jumped up and decided I should prepare. I thought I should get ready for bed and light all the candles in case we lost power. And once that was done, I thought maybe now I will do my Bible study while I wait out this storm! 

So there I was seated at my table, now dressed in my pajamas with candles lit all around me, ready for the storm, ready to read my Bible. I opened up the study book, and the title was, I kid you not, “Keep Your Lamps Burning.” The verse was taken from Luke 12:35-36:

“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.”

It sounds almost comical! There I was, now dressed in readiness (my pajamas), with my lamps (candles) lit! But it was such a picture to me of how I should be waiting for Jesus’ return, not wasting my time in idleness. And just when I thought I knew all that God could tell me through His Word, these perfectly timed circumstances arose to show me I really didn’t know all that much! I want to be dressed in readiness, with my candles burning—expectant, responsive, alert, faithful, sensible, obedient, serving the Lord as I await His return.

“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.”