Daily Bible Reading:
Monday, June 28. Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. 1) Paul did not want his brethren to be “misinformed.” From where did that misinformation come? 2) What would the result be of that misinformation?
Tuesday, June 29. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. 1) What did he say was true of most of his Corinthian brothers and sisters? 2) Of strong or weak, which does God prefer to choose? 3) Why do you think that is?
Wednesday, June 30. Read 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18. 1) Paul was open and honest about his weaknesses. “Chief of sinners.” “Thorn in the flesh.” 2) What does he say in this text that might reveal another weakness?
Thursday, July 1. Read Acts 18:5-6. 1) Who was Paul’s first or primary audience when he first arrived in Corinth? 2) What changed his mind about this? 3) What did he do?
Friday, July 2. Read 2 Corinthians 13:1-4. 1) What did Paul say warn would happen if nothing changed in the behavior of the Corinthians? 2) How did Paul describe Christ in his death and resurrection?
Saturday, July 3. Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. This is Sunday’s sermon text.
Prayer for the Week:
Father of the weak. Source of power and grace. We acknowledge our failure to achieve what you have desired for us. With Paul, we acknowledge our “thorns” and seek the strength and fortitude that only you can bring to us. Our boasting is in your work alone. In Jesus’ name, we pray this. Amen.
Hymn of the Week:
The Sands of Time
by Anne R. Cousin, 1857
The sands of time are sinking,
the dawn of heaven breaks,
the summer morn I’ve sighed for,
the fair sweet morn awakes;
dark, dark hath been the midnight,
but dayspring is at hand,
and glory, glory dwelleth
in Emmanuel’s land.
The King there in his beauty
without a veil is seen;
it were a well-spent journey,
though sev’n deaths lay between:
the Lamb with his fair army
doth on Mount Zion stand,
and glory, glory dwelleth
in Emmanuel’s land.
O Christ, he is the fountain,
the deep sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted,
more deep I’ll drink above:
there to an ocean fullness
his mercy doth expand,
and glory, glory dwelleth
in Emmanuel’s land.
The bride eyes not her garment,
but her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
but on my King of grace;
not at the crown he gifteth,
but on his piercèd hand:
the Lamb is all the glory
of Emmanuel’s land.
Devotional Article of the Week:
His Strength in My Weakness
How can weakness be our moment of greatest strength?
by Tom Norvell
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV).
There are times when the world around me seems literally to be caving in. People are in distress, crying for help. People are in pain, asking for relief. People are confused, asking for clarity. People are blinded by their circumstances, asking for vision. I can do nothing. I feel helpless. I have no words to share with them, no strength to give them, and no relief to offer them. Yet, somehow a word will come, they will find strength in my presence, or they will find some comfort in knowing that I care. That’s when I hear Him say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then I realize that it is “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
There are times when I am drawn into a situation of incredible sadness. It may be the loss of a child, the loss of a spouse, the loss of a parent, or the loss of a friend. It may be that a marriage is on the brink of destruction, or has already crumbled. I am asked to help. There is nothing I can do. I cannot bring back the dead nor can I rebuild what has been torn down. But, amazingly God takes what little I have to offer and turns it into a balm that somehow eases the pain. I don’t understand it, but I know it happens. That’s when I hear Him say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then I realize that it is “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
There are times when I am called upon to address a problem, answer a question, deal with a difficult situation that I feel completely inadequate to address. Though I try to put words together that will sufficiently deal with the matter and clear away some of the confusion, the words do not come. I sit for hours waiting for just the right words, longing for the right phrase, and searching for the insight that will bring a resolution. Then, I pause and ask for His wisdom. He gives it. That’s when I hear Him say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then I realize that it is “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
There are times when I am stressed and disturbed and my emotions are out of control. I look at the tasks of the day and cannot see my way through the maze of confusion and frustration. I wonder if I have the strength leave my house. I feel afraid to take even one step. Somehow when I can put one foot in front of the other and step out into the darkness that so frightens me, He helps me. With Him I get through the day. That’s when I hear Him say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then I realize that it is “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
These situations I have shared are not unique with me are they? You face the same kinds of things everyday of your life. You are confronted with the same difficult and seemingly impossible situations. You feel just as confused, just as afraid, just as helpless, and just as weak as I do. And, He gives you the strength to face your situation. He sends you the wisdom to solve your problems. He delivers to you the sense of peace that brings calmness. He provides you with the words that can bring about a solution. His promise is just as real to you as it is to me. Listen to hear Him say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And know that when you are weak, then you are strong.
His grace is sufficient for us, for His power is made perfect in weakness so that when we are weak, He makes us strong.