Is Jesus Really, Truly Always' Enough'?

 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” Matthew 12:35-37

Brothers and Sisters who choose not to be offended by what God allows,

Give me your ears, my feet are dancing. I want to share what God revealed to me this week in hopes that it may help someone else. We all know what it is at times to struggle with unbelief. If I am in a time of faith, I do not understand how I could fall into unbelief ever again. If it is a time of unbelief, a faith walk is nebulous and feels out of reach as I drift back to the world’s system of thinking and I question if I will ever know it again?

How easily we are sucked into the world’s system of thinking especially if we do not balance our life with reading and digesting (applying) God’s word daily.

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." niv

Think of Eve… she decided the fruit from a certain tree, the forbidden one, looked to be the answer to meet her immediate need. Notice she didn’t seek out God and spend time with Him nor did she request anything of Him. And where was Adam? Eve was consumed with the fruit before her eyes, it filled her vision clouding her mind, and was coupled with Satan’s trap to capture and enslave.  Not only beautiful fruit full of promise, here was Satan in colorful array, disguised and full of deadly poison and beguiling promises, this was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and she imagined the beautiful looking fruit was as sweet and tasty as it appeared and she desired to be wise! Isn’t that what the serpent had promised? This was a new experience and exciting… quickly decided, she reached for the fruit and without hesitation she tasted the forbidden and turned to beguile Adam to join her, disobeying God’s command. They chose to eat the only thing God had forbidden and thereby chose death.

For the first time there was a burning stench in the garden and an overwhelming feeling of unexplainable confusion, heaviness, and loss and all of which dissipated into the growing darkness. It magnified the strange emptiness and yes, hopelessness they now felt. Adam and Eve knew for the first time they were not only naked, but they knew what it was to have sinned against the Holy God. The excitement they had felt was gone. They knew what it was to feel shame and guilty. They were vulnerable. For the first time they experienced an unwelcome and overpowering sense of fear. And they hid!

 We probably do not have to think too hard to bring up a time when we gave in to temptation that ended up changing our lives. We play out a similar scene whenever we are tempted we fall into the world’s system of thinking to solve problems, seek advice or find comfort in shopping, eating or we exercise or often indulge in sin.

Thus is the story of sin. It is powerful. It holds out promises yet is without truth or rewards and ends in death.

 So we rationalize convincing ourselves something is innocent or harmless. Like the Corpse Flower from Sumatra, our sin will grow into full bloom and the putrid fragrance of a dying thing fills our nostrils with regret. We play out the same scene every time we give in to temptation instead of dying to sin.  We will never know resurrection power in and through us without dying daily and taking up our cross! Where there is no death there can be no resurrection!

A young man I know made a very bad choice at 18. It will haunt him, maybe the rest of his life. It has hurt his family. Their are people who are holding on to this to hurt him, they cannot be reached over the Internet. It has split our family and we have experienced great pain and grief. A miracle is the only answer.

 Just as the miracle of the Corpse Flower, God’s amazing creation, it miraculously blooms every 7 to 10 years and is beautiful to look at, this flower gives off the terrible, gagging fragrance of death and rotting things. So too, our words and actions can lead to death; in the end all that attracts us in the world will be disappointing. Instead we are to be the fragrance of Christ. The flowers odor attracts flies and insects but begins to disintegrate after just two days. It is nothing but a big disappointment to the flies and other carrion insects, just as the fruit Eve ate left life rotting and smelling of death. Unlike other plants that offer nectar, there's no real reward here.  Satan offered Eve rewards, but it was lies. The insects want a meal because it smells like something dead and end up without a thing.

My grace IS sufficient for you… … . II Cor 12:9 True? Yes, true.

This is what God has shown me… If we should lose everything we love, friends, health, wealth, even family… and life is profoundly disappointing, is Jesus enough? ‘Yes’ is our automatic answer, the right one, but in the middle of the muddle, and we are in great pain, are we not tempted to live by our feelings? We do not feel like Jesus is enough. But the truth is, Jesus is always enough. It is never a question of Him being sufficient, but a question of my faith, trusting Him to be enough for me. Am I walking in faith and trusting Him even when feelings are masterfully pulling at me?

“Look out for tokens of good, you who are fighting the good fight. The fight is good no doubtful weapons are we ever called upon to use, thank God. Tokens are things we may ask and receive, as we fight on and do not allow ourselves to be dismayed or discouraged by the power of the great adversary.” Ac

Keep your eyes on Christ. (Hebrews 12:2) Wear the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Do not miss the daily bread of His blessings, in the press of life! They are Hope and help and comfort! Bless you dear Brothers and Sisters, Fight the good fight of faith! May God’s grace be all over you. Do not be deceived by ‘looks’ or ‘feelings’! Walk by faith. Go to Him with your expectations…. Stay in His Word!

Much love dear ones,

az

http://www.gramzkidz.com

What are the 6 most deadly snakes in the world?

Who designed them and if there is a design, there must be a Designer! 

 Click on Gramz Kidz above and go to 'By Design.

 

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 ( Corpse Flower may grow 10-20 feet tall)

"Change Me"

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; I Peter:2:9

Dear Brothers and Sisters around the world, You are loved by the One who know you best and loves you anyway!

The called out life is a life of daily dying to self and what self wants; a daily turning to our Master with a ‘Yes, Lord” to everything, even to what is most against the grain. Ac

To be earthly minded, living each day moved by self-love, self-pity self-will—is to shut out the Light.

‘This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:19-21

Sometimes there is a great deal to be done in us before God can come upon us in the Holy Spirit’s power and transform us. But if only we will ask Him to change us and allow Him to sweep away every particle of unlove, of pride, of resentment or unforgiveness, He will. My prayer is that everyone reading  these words will in deep humility and courage, invite Him to search the depths of our heart and mind. Every place that only the Holy Spirit can … for He knows all that is base and hidden in the darkness there. Only then can He begin to do what He longs to do in and through us. For He is the Light!

Many times on my walks I have dropped to my knees and cried out “Change me, LORD!”  For though I long to see those I love … change, I know I cannot change anyone else, not even myself. I need to allow God transform my life, a clean sweep. I am learning that the moment ‘self’ is exposed I must look to Jesus. And when I fail I must refuse to be discouraged, realizing the more you hunger to be like Him, the greater the battle. The enemy uses discouragement as his ‘never fail’ tool in the lives of believers. Remember the work is Christ’s. The battle is the LORD’s and He has already won the Victory; we need only to receive it by faith.

This cannot be hurried. It requires failure enough, to cause a ravenous hunger to be free. A longing strong enough that we more than ‘want to’ turn away from the flesh, but are at last willing to stop courting ourselves when we must instead be counting ourselves dead to sin, crucified with Christ and risen with Christ. Do not let these truths become the ‘same ole, same ole’. It cost God Calvary to forgive our smallest sin! Our sin never surprises Him, but He provided armor for us for a reason.

He allows many trials to come upon us, for when we decide to go deeper with Jesus we walk straight into the crucible. Failure to succeed in our own strength is strong motivation for us to become so sick and tired of struggling to live the Christian life, that we throw our hands up and shout,” I give up! I can’t do it! It is impossible! I think God smiles and says, ‘finally!’

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 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. 2 Cor 4:4-6  WOW!

Now, all the sweetness of knowing Him more and more intimately begins to be reality. Then comes the blessings of being divinely loved and the sweet taste of freedom when we die to self and find the rest and peace that awaits us as we trust in Him.  My feet are dancing! Words fall far short of explaining this! And then exposed, for all that are courageous enough to follow, is the truth that the worlds offerings are nothing but maggot filled deceit, meant to blind and maim. The world’s offerings are empty and foreign and impossible to be compared to what God has planned and provided.

Oh soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness to see
There's a light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

The one who surrenders all, feeding on God’s word and applying it daily, will not only begin well, but finish well. The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the Light of His glory and grace.

Light of the world, Divine Father, reign over us in spite of our passions! How could we find anything to love outside of You? May the fire of Your love extinguish any other fire! Give us the grace to love You and no other. And we will continue to love You throughout eternity.FF  Only You satisfy Jesus. In Your name I pray, amen. 

May Jesus Christ be praised!

az

 http://www.gramzkidz.com

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Set Apart Unto the Holy Spirit

 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”        Acts 13:2

Brothers and Sisters pursuing our Great God,

God wants more than your service, more than your best and more than you’re your sacrifice. God wants you! You are to be set apart unto the Holy Spirit. Put your name in this verse, “Set apart for Me ____________for the work to which I have called them.” We have a covenant calling with the living God. All are called to pray first and foremost.

How often we delay an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father, because we are busy serving Him. Even our ‘work’ interferes with His command to separate us to the Holy Spirit. He wants so much more…  hear the words of Andrew Murray: I am sure there are workers who often cry to God for the Holy Spirit to come upon them as a Spirit of power for their work, and when they feel that measure of power, and get blessing, they thank God for it. But God wants something more and something higher. God wants us to seek for the Holy Spirit as a Spirit of power in our own heart and life, to conquer self and cast out sin, and to work the blessed and beautiful image of Jesus into us.”

What is the difference between the power of the Spirit as a gift and the power of the Spirit for the grace of a holy life? Is my work just the means of conversion? (only because God’s word will not return void) But in truth it will never help anyone to a higher standard of grace and holiness? God forbid! For then, I am not yet separated to the Holy Spirit. The crux is, separation to the Holy Spirit requires dying! Our old sin nature avoids this at any cost. Our OSN can be comfortable serving in church, singing in the choir, teaching a S.S. class and will fool a majority of people, but at what cost?  Incalculable!

Many separated from the world Christians are not separated from themselves!

Remember when God has given you little holy sweetness’s too precious to even share with others. This ‘holy’ is born of time at His feet and time in His word and prayer. To hear His voice we must hear His word. To speak His language we must believe His word and absorb it until it fills us to overflowing.

Abba, Daddy, You who call us to be separated unto You and see in our heart our great longing to be like You, have provided a way to ‘know’ you, beyond my understanding, beyond salvation truths, so that You are Lord of my life. I pray You will Rule over me by Your Holy Spirit, have supremacy over my thoughts, and all that I am. I want to know a holy intimacy by Your Spirit. I do not want to miss anything You have for me. You are God and I long for You. In His name I pray and praise.

I have been moved deeply this week by His gentle touches and loving provision! God’s faithfulness has thrown me to my knees in wonder, as His Presence fills me with fear and reverence. He allowed me to be sensitive to His working in me, albeit because of the Holy Spirit’s presence there was revealed in me that which is vile and fleshly. As His sweet Presence worked repentance in me I found myself on my face before His throne, there under His wings, there under His pinions hidden in the shadows, I found refuge and cleansing and restoration. He met me there. Where else would I want to be? Brothers and Sisters you are loved and prayed for by Jesus Himself. You are called to be separated unto the Holy Spirit.

Separated unto the Holy Spirit,

az 

http://www.gramzkidz.com

Evangecube

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Wise and Blessed

Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom… Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days. Psalm 90:12, 14

Brothers and Sisters,

I was thinking about desire to live a life that brings God glory. This would mean I would live victoriously in my circumstances, albeit great or small. I long for the Holy Spirit to fill me with power to the deepest part of me. (Romans 12:1-2) I refuse to let circumstances bully me by putting me in an arm-lock. I will not be dominated by the tactile, the world of feelings,  held captive by all that is ‘seen’ and ‘felt’! In Christ's strength I will choose to live by faith that I might be living proof my Father is continually faithful, His grace sufficient.

Psalm 84:5: Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee… not partially in ‘God’ and partially in myself or in something is temporal, earthy! The enemy can make me strong, strong in myself to move and think as the world does, to unknowingly operate by the world’s system of thinking, as I begin to rationalize and reason in the flesh. Too late I realize I have embraced the good, missing the best.

I long to ‘feel’ strong but God makes His servants weak that we might see our nothingness! This is a life-long lesson. When I fail and miss the way, I am to run to Him, not from Him! My natural inclination, like Adam and Eve, is to hide grasping a futile handful of leaves to cover my sin and shame. That is one of the worst things about sin, its power to rob us of fellowship with the One who knows all about our sin, despite our hiding in plain sight. We must learn to run to Him… His arms are open wide.

“Faith counts on the Word of God outside and apart from everything and everyone here. When you are in faith your life is centered in the Lord Jesus. The moment the heart is detained by anything here, faith is obstructed. If you walk in the Spirit you will be sensible of this in a moment; the effects and influences of the visible are counter to the invisible.” jbs

Eve lost faith when she saw the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eye. If she had kept faith with her focus on Jesus, dependent on Him, she would not have looked. It changed everything.

Once we fully accept His purpose for our lives His will becomes our will. How God will work to bring about His will for us and in us, ceases to be an issue.  His one great purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son, Yeshua. Even the mundane, the boring and the daily repetition of duties matters and is of eternal value to Him. He does not over look anything no matter how small. O to trust Him and find rest! We will sing his praise. Victory is a matter of receiving the daily bread of His provison, not working to produce our version of trust and rest.

Know His Word. Know His work. Know His voice. Know His touch.

Father God,

Redeemer of all my failings, and good intentions gone awry, I hunger to draw near to You. Give me a teachable spirit…  and teach me, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. What is it that You have given me to do daily in my work, that is of eternal value to You? Let me see through Your eyes and value what You value. Keeper of the stars, sustaining them by Your great power, lift me eyes to focus on You, even when I am hurting, for only You can redeem my messes and my brokenness and all the ways I fall short of Your glory. Forgive, cleanse, restore and purify me with the precious blood of the Lamb. You leave me in awe of who You are, I love You Lord and pray in Your name.

az 

The Hem of His Garment

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…and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. Mark 6:56

Hi Brothers and Sisters,

Have you ever longed for the Lord Jesus to be so near you could fall on your face and touch His robe and have your world be ‘made whole’? Oh how I long for this again and again.

It happens when reading His word and He gives you something. You know it has occurred but you would not be able to explain how it happened. All we know is something has passed from Him to you!

It may be the courage you need for something yet unknown or patience  to bear with a certain difficult person or inner strength to go on when we are sure we cannot. It may be the sweet inner freshness in our spirit as a precious, renewing gift!

God’s way of passing by, of letting His ‘hem’ come near us, is to take some single word in His Book and make it breathe spirit and life into us. Then, relying upon His word- meditating, feeding our soul on it- we find it is suddenly possible to go from strength to strength.” ac

And so whether the struggle that engages us has to do with our inner life, or our outward circumstances there is nothing to fear, “For your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.” ac

I received an email from my mentor and feel led to share it with you.
Arlene, these are quotes from David Roper’s book 
 “The God who walks beside us.”

God’s call to serve is a call to suffer. Deep wounds seem the norm for those whom God is determined to use. Pain is needful, not for our sake alone, but also for those we are destined to serve.

As Paul put it, “We who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (II Corinthians 4:11-12,)

“These are the channels by which our souls are enlarged and our sympathies deepened.”

“Death” (to our old sin nature) is the inevitable, earthly lot of those whom God has called, the lonely, invisible burden of those whom God is using. Sickness, loneliness, clamor, unrequited love, incessant demands, and mundane duties---all conditions that seem to epitomize the frustrations of life---become the means by which the spirit of sacrifice and service begins to emerge in us.

Arlene, is God using His plan to bring salvation to the earth through your ministry and life?  I believe so.

“God uses everything---suffering, sorrow, even sin---to draw us to Him and remake us in His image.”

Dear Father in heaven, You who give Yourself to us, I long for you. I come to You most often with requests to do something ‘for’ me… yet You  want to do something ‘in’ me! I yield myself to You today, to work Your will in me by the power of Your Spirit, work the likeness of Your Son, the Lord Jesus in me. I believe You have me in the place You want me right now… even if I got here by because of other people’s sin and wrong choices or rebellion or indifference You are incorporating them into Your plan to draw me near and mold me in Your image. Thank You for Your Sovereign will and wisdom and power and goodness that can take all of my past mistakes and failures and work Truth and Hope and love in and through me for Your glory. I rest in the truth that You have me here in this place right now for Your perfect purposes. I praise Your holy name, now and forever.

Love in Christ,

az

When God wants to drill a man

And thrill a man and skill a man,

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all his heart

To create so bold a man

That all the world will be amazed,

Watch his methods, watch his ways;

How God relentlessly perfects

Whom he royally elects;

How he hammers us and hurts us

And with mighty blows converts us

Into trial shapes of clay

Which only God can understand,

While our tortured heart is crying

And we lift beseeching hands.

How God bends, but never breaks

When his good he undertakes;

How he uses whom he chooses

And with every purpose fuses us;

By every act induces us

To try his splendor out---

God knows what he’s about!

---Dale Martin Stone

http://www.gramzkidz.com

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Amazing, Astounding, and Undeserved Grace

John 1:14, 16-17

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory,

glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth . . .

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

Brothers and Sisters of my heart,  

You have probably heard the idiom, ‘where there is smoke there is fire’. Truth is often found in an idiom. Albeit the source of all truth is God’s word the Bible.  Hear this powerful idiom: ‘where there’s sin in abundance, there’s even more grace in abundance.’ This reflects the Truth we find in Romans 5:20-21:

‘but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

That is truth enough to live on until Christ returns for us! As we grow in likeness to Christ God reveals our sin to us, allowing trials to expose it. Think how terrible that would be if it were not for grace! Dreadful except for the Truth found in Romans chapters 5-8. Romans is rich with life changing truth.

I want to share the beginning of a poem I read yesterday.

Drive Me Deep to Face Myself

Lord, grant me your peace for I have made peace with

What does not give peace, and I am afraid.

Drive me deep, now, to face myself so I may see

That what I truly need to fear is my capacity to deceive

And my willingness to be deceived,

my loving of things and using of people, T. L.

Thankfully there is ‘grace’, unlimited, beautiful grace. Sets my feet to dancing!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7

Grace is infinite, but I don’t want you to strain to understand infinitude. God never measures anything else in Himself, against Himself. That is, God never measures His grace against His justice or His mercy against His love. God is all one. But God measures His grace against our sin. (read the scripture above again.) There is nothing in God that can compare itself with anything else in God. What God is, God is. When scripture says grace does ‘much more’ abound,’ it means not that grace does much more abound than anything else in God but much more than anything in us. a.w.t.

Hallelujah! Celebrate this Truth that has the power to overwhelm. This One who is outside of time, who cannot be contained or measured by any dimension, is our great God! Let us live aware of the daily bread of His grace, us who are hopeless sinners and helpless without Him, how is it possible? It is incomprehensibly immense and vast! Our small brains cannot and never will be able to grasp the greatness of His being. Do you think God would have put up with us for all these years if He had a limited amount of grace? How vast and immeasurable to forgive all my sin and make me His beloved child.

 ^‘to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.’ Ephesians 1:6-7

As we grow in God’s grace, the more we will see that it comes at Christ’s expense. The more deeply we believe this truth, the more we see we are totally undeserving.

Let us embrace this truth and celebrate our beautiful Savior-God, Giver of all grace.

Father of all grace, Immeasurable One, beyond numbers or words or space, uncontainable, forever God, It overwhelms that You would bend low and pick me from the dung pile of self-righteousness and sin and wash my sin away and give me a new nature, and then indwell me by Your holy Spirit, that I might know You personally and be forever changed, from glory to glory, into Your likeness. We are in awe of You Holy, immeasurable One. I thank You.

Dear ones, I hope you have been encouraged over God’s great love for you! He says even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Praying for you all.

Until every knee shall bow,

az

 email devotional: http://az-doveseye.blogspot.com/
http://www.gramzkidz.com

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Can You Say with Paul, "I am well content?"

Precious Ones, immeasurably loved by God,

The Bible has much to say about contentment. May you have ears to hear.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Phil 4:11-13

Then I read this a few days ago:

“Self-revelation precedes divine revelation- that is a principle for both spiritual birth and spiritual growth. The Christian who is going through struggle and failure is the Christian who is being carefully and lovingly handled by his Lord in a very personal way.” MJS

God uses self-revelation to reveal our discontent, exposing our unbelief, our unrest and our striving to live the Christian life by self- effort. Also revealed is a daily busyness in our life that keeps us from His  life-giving Word. When we take vacations with the purpose of refreshing and rest, we often return from vacation in need of a vacation. So to we blame much of our discontent on our circumstances. Each of us would change many things if we were presented the opportunity, beginning with our income. We tear down houses and build bigger ones with bigger storage areas; to fill with more stuff to store and we eventually forget we have it.

Hebrews 13:5

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

 Then there is our discontent with our weight, our height, our build, our spouse, the climate we live in, the car we drive… and a myriad of other things in our life we are bent on changing, even good things in our life, let alone how quickly we would rid ourselves of trials if it were in our power to do so. We have created a god that is not God, but one who is required to remove our troubles and bless us with riches and abundance. We expect Him to answer the opinions we pray and take offence when He does not kowtow to our demands, joining our pursuits.

We know that Joy is not found in circumstances and is fruit of the Spirit, not fruit of self-effort. So, too, contentment, though not listed as a fruit of the Spirit is something we are to learn, it takes time. We must join God in His pursuits.

II Corint 12:7-10 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

God told Paul, “No”.

Paul in surrender finds he is more than content, he is well content!

I was quickened to consider just what Paul’s circumstances were when he said he was ‘well content’? I realized he was given a gift. A gift/thorn God allowed to bring Paul to weakness. A gift he begged to return to the giver. OUCH! Can we know contentment in distresses and persecutions and insults and difficulty?

God considered Paul’s circumstances rich soil for teaching Paul contentment. I believe our circumstances are rich soil for God to do the same in us. See what Paul says? Amazing words: Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Paul says he will choose his troubles. We will only know contentment to the degree we trust Him and we will only trust Him to the degree we know Him. There are no short cuts. We mature by growth and growth cannot be hurried.

We must be willing to embrace our trials like Paul to be “well content”. We are more likely to be resisting, wrestling, refusing, rebuking the enemy, while lost in tears of unbelief. We may see it as a lack of faith when our binding the enemy results in “no” as our answer. Albeit, the real lack of faith is our refusal to learn contentment in any and every circumstance. We are focused on changing our circumstances instead of learning to dance with the pain God is using in our life.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Phil 4:11-13

This doesn’t leave us room to keep living day after day in a restless discontent.

In this scripture Paul speaks of learning to be content in any and every situation and shares the secret he learned. A secret with power to redeem our trials to serve His purposes. The word does not say that God will remove all the difficulties from our life and then contentment will be ours. Paul states he has learned to be content because Christ gives him strength and in II Corinthians 12, two little words that are part of the secret, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Doesn’t this move you to tears? O the wonder of it all!

We will know contentment even in our tears, as we trust Christ to give us strength and God to give us grace. He knows all about our weakness and it doesn’t stop Him from using every situation for His glory and our good.

“Truly to rest in God is to yield oneself up to the highest activity. We work because He works in us both to will and to do. Entering into the rest of God is the ceasing from self-effort and the yielding of oneself in full surrender of faith to God’s working.” A.M.

Oh the beauty and power of His Spirit indwelling us until we can rejoice in our weakness! Wow my feet are dancing, Christ filling us with strength and delivering us and keeping us until the tears we weep are sweet worship to our King! Hallelujah and blessed be His name.

Great God, holy perfection, You are all we could ever desire, thank You for teaching contentment amidst tears. How gentle and kind You are… allowing me to know You more and more. You give me grace and strength I will never deserve. Thank You that ‘all is grace’.  The world so quickly loses its attraction when we know You intimately and as You  gift us with Yourself. Thank You for the suffering You give. A gift that brings with it a freedom to prove You faithful as I learn to be content. Only in You can we know what it is to be ‘well content’. LORD give my sisters and brothers a desire to know You intimately and learn to be ‘well content’. I boast in You, O Lamb of God, in Your name I pray amen.

Learning contentment,

az

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