Devotionals for October 4, 2023

Last Newcomers' Dinner of the year is on Sunday, October 29th at 5:30pm. Join us!

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalm 73: 26-28

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 27 Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. 28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!  I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

After yesterday’s devotional, some of you may be wondering why you haven’t been healed after what could be years of praying. Sometimes God says, “Not now.” None of us fully know the mind of God, but each of us can and should lean into the lessons of God in the midst of physical or mental pain and suffering. In Paul’s case, he didn’t just pray, he begged the Lord for physical healing, but God said no. Why? Because God had a different plan. God would use what was weak inside of Paul to reveal His power and His strength through Paul’s weakness. This would keep Paul humble and dependent upon the Lord. When we find ourselves in the same place as Paul, we must do what Paul did. Accept God’s answer and find an opportunity to trust God with our situation. In doing this, Paul bore witness to the power of Christ working through him. Apart from the physical ailment Paul suffered, Paul, nor those whom he encountered would have had the opportunity to see and experience the sufficiency of God in weakness and the power of God to work in and through him right where he was.

Q: What was God’s answer to Paul’s prayer for healing? How does God’s answer and Paul’s attitude encourage you?

Q: Has God chosen not to heal you? How have you seen God’s strength, grace, and goodness as a result? If you are struggling with this, let me encourage you to reach out to the care team so we can support you and pray with you.

Q: What changes will you make in action or attitude so that your unhealed ailment is an opportunity to reveal the sufficiency and love of God?

"Give us today our daily bread."

Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony, but if not, I will love and worship You anyway. You, Sovereign Lord, are my strength. I trust You Lord to reveal Yourself to me and through me in my weakness.