Today’s Scrip-Bit   15 April 2023   2 Corinthians 12:9a.

15 Apr 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 12:9a. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.

And then it was Saturday, lazy day Saturday! Unfortunately though, I was up and about early this morning doing stuff, and thus did not get to enjoy the lazy aspect of the early half of the morning, so now that I’ve come to write the Bit, I’m tired. (smile) But you know what? I remembered this verse from 2 Corinthians and found the strength to continue. It’s where Bruh Paul asks the Lord three times to remove a ‘thorn from his flesh’ which he seemed to think was given to keep him humble. And the Lord’s answer was simply marvellous. ‘And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

Wow! What an answer! And believe me, it’s the gospel truth. I can testify to it because on numerous occasions when I’ve felt that I just didn’t have the energy to finish a task or go somewhere, or just get up and move around, I’d suddenly find myself renewed with strength and perseverance to continue. And I just knew that it was not my doing, but the Lord’s! I can’t help saying it friends: What a magnificent God we worship! I don’t see how anyone in their right mind, with any knowledge of Him at all, can turn away from Him, because He is always there when we need Him. 

No wonder Bruh Paul says after he got that answer: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b) And that makes a certain amount of sense. If the Lord will empower you in times of weakness, then why not glory in your weakness so that He can empower you. (smile) And to back his contention, Bruh Paul continues thus: ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:10) 

To the ordinary unbeliever that might not sound like good logic, but if you’re a sincere and faithful believer, it is, because you know that in your weakness, the Lord will make you strong to accomplish His will. And though in our society it’s verboten to boast, or even speak of our weaknesses, in Christ’s kingdom it’s certainly acceptable, because we’re not always strong enough to do whatever we desire to do. And these excerpts from an article by Allison Richmond on the spiritual-life/weekly-devotional website gives us some good insights into the situation. 

She writes: ‘It is counterintuitive to talk about our weaknesses. In fact, we usually try to hide them. Today more than ever, we are held to incredibly high standards of near perfection, causing us to brush our weaknesses under the rug and not let anyone know about our failures or shortcomings. We try to put on a façade of strength, and we can’t hold it up forever. But God is perfect in every way, giving Him the power to make up for any weaknesses we have. And we have a lot. Paul says because of this, he will be even more aware and vocal about his weakness in order that God might come in and support him. 

God’s power perfects our weaknesses, allowing us to do so much more than we could ever do on our own. The strength that God will provide in our weaknesses is much greater than any strength that we could muster on our own. So we should not try and hide or avoid our weaknesses, but rather, embrace them, allowing God to strengthen you in ways you could never have imagined.’ 

And that’s the Christian way! Oh, we really don’t go out and boast of them or flaunt them arrogantly, but we don’t hide them and pretend that we’re superman. That’s why Peter’s words on the subject echo so loudly in our ears, as he talks of us as being partakers of Christ’s sufferings. He says: ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify Christ on this behalf (matter).’ (1 Pet. 4:12-16) 

Yes, my fellow believers, it’s not always fun or easy to be a true Christian, for we will encounter tough times and suffer unnecessarily or falsely, at least in our opinion, but we are expected to bear those sufferings with a modicum of joy (smile) for Christ’s sake. Please remember Christ warned of that very situation. He said:’ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Now, again, that’s not always easy to do, but look at all Jesus suffered on our behalf, and He didn’t get through it all on His own nuh, the Father gave Him the strength to do it. In His weakness the Father’s strength and power became perfect. Likewise, when we are undergoing adversity, let’s remember Jesus’ ‘sufferation’ and how he handled it with the Father’s strength, and believe that we can handle ours the same way, if we will call out to the Father in our weakness and times of trouble, and not try to do it in our own strength, because most times we are incapable of doing so. 

And our God is such a smart-aleck, that He just reminded me of such a situation in my life. Sometime aback I was experiencing some mind-numbing cramps in my legs, and I called out to Him for help, and a few minutes later the cramps began to fade away. However, sometime last week, I had cramps again, but this time for some unknown reason I never called out to Him for help, and simply tried handling them in my own strength. And they took a relatively long time to dissipate. 

But yuh know what?  As soon as they did, I got this zeppo from the Lord, reminding me of the earlier situation, and how with His help, it had been solved very quickly. And all I could do was chuckle sadly and say, ‘Yes Lord, you’ve made your point.’ And it both amazed and annoyed me that in my time of need, I hadn’t remembered to call on the Lord for help. 

So friends, it’s very important that in our times of suffering, of weakness, we turn to God for help. We need to make it become a habit, an addiction that comes automatically, otherwise we might end up like I did, suffering unnecessarily. Much LOVE!

…our God possesses abnormal power… and in our frailty…we’d be foolish not to call on Him for help… 

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ             

Today’s Scrip-Bit   30 August 2022   2 Corinthians 12:9a.

30 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 12:9a.        My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.

Well, it seems like today we might at last get some of the rain promised yesterday, after strong winds blew away the rain clouds. The skies are dark outside and a sprinkle of heavenly blessing has already fallen. But who knows, in these days of climate change anything is possible. So many times in the recent past we’ve been promised rain, and did see dark clouds all around, but no rain fell, at least in my area. (smile) 

But just to show how crazy our world has gotten, I recently read that in some eastern European country, two top meteorologists were fired when they forecasted a big storm for some national holiday and thus all the celebrations were postponed. But unfortunately, no storm happened. Imagine the ignorance in that nuh! Weather forecasting is an inexact science, so you can’t hold the forecasters to any rigid details, especially when our weather patterns have recently changed and are still changing as we speak. 

But I guess that’s life in these modern times. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to have Jesus as the foundation, the veritable anchor in our lives, so that those kinds of unfortunate things don’t get us too down and eventually drive us crazy. And to help us handle the madness of today’s world, promises of Jesus, like this one, should be indelibly stenciled in the forefront of our minds: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) 

Now that’s a most reassuring scripture! It won’t always change our circumstances, but it will surely help us to handle those circumstances in a more positive manner, driving away the desire to give up on our faith and our lives. And per the earthly life, that’s one of the major reasons to believe in Jesus. He doesn’t take away all our problems, but helps us to handle them in a positive manner. 

Too many of us supposed believers though, think that as soon as we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that life will just run as smoothly as a rippling stream. But that’s a total fallacy, for sometimes life gets more complicated with more problems as Jesus allows stuff to enter our lives to test our faith, to see how strong we really are. And whatever comes against us, God will give us all the grace we need to handle the situation. We need to believe that very deeply. 

And we have the perfect example of that in Bruh Paul’s situation in 2 Corinthians 12, where he had some thorn in his flesh, nobody knows for sure what it was, some malady, sickness or affliction that was obviously causing him problems and three times he asked the Lord to take it away but the Lord refused, telling him: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’  (2 Cor. 12:9a) 

So, sometimes when we pray for relief from a problem, that’s the kind of answer we may receive, and then we must do like Bruh Paul did when he received that answer to his problem. He went on to say: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor, 12:9b-10) 

Yes friends, though it’s never easy, sometimes we just have to grin and bear our problems, knowing that the grace of God is always with us, even when we seem to be at our lowest and most hurting point. All of us have strengths and weaknesses, and as we glory in the strengths, so should we accept the weaknesses or flaws, knowing that God will not allow them to destroy us, if we are faithful to Him and His word. 

Oh, living the real Christian life was never meant to be easy, a Sunday stroll in the park, but it surely is an interesting life, with all sorts of unexpected adventures, both good and bad. And when the bad ones come upon us, we need to remember these soul-searching words of Peter, as he writes about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings: that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14) 

Yes mih bredrin, we will all suffer some kind of reproach or insult on Christ’s behalf, but we need to take it in our stride and not always react in the same manner, but consider it a blessing, because the Spirit of God dwells within us and gives us the power and the grace to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name. Remember how Jesus said it in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) 

And yes, it will be difficult to rejoice when you are being persecuted, be it physically or through slander and blasphemy. But the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that last verse. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focusses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’ 

Now that’s saying a mouthful, but it’s the awesome truth. If all that we believe is true, then the earthly troubles we encounter are no match for the heavenly rewards to come. And we need to believe that and hold on to it tightly, otherwise we won’t be able to handle the earthly problems properly. And the only way to do that successfully is by constantly delving deep in the word of God, talking to Him through constant prayer, and fellowshipping regularly with other believers! 

Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live that way, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we proudly belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And now my fellow believers, it behooves us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…God’s grace is never in short supply…there’s always enough to see us through every problem… 

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8​             

Today’s Scrip-Bit 21 September 2020 2 Corinthians 12:9a.

21 Sep 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 Corinthians 12:9a.     ​And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).

Oh friends, the old fella is feeling somewhat ‘achy, breaky’ this Monday morning in soul, body and mind. Hn! That means his mental acuity is not up to scratch and thus he is devoid of any wise and encouraging words at this present time. (smile) But don’t despair, for the Lord our wonderful God is near – He always is – and in His time, He will fill me with guidance and direction as to what wonderful, LOVING sentiments He desires me to convey to you all today. (smile) 

Yeh mih people, the ole fella shaking it a tad rough this morning, lack of enough rest I believe, but we not giving up, we soldiering on because we have Christ with us to enable us with His strength and grace…. Oh mih bredrin ah just got the zeppo I was waiting for…Glory be! 

Yuh see I wasn’t lying when I said that the Lord would eventually tell me what He wanted me to talk about today. And He just did that – today’s topic mirrors my present predicament; tiredness, a kind of weakness of body, soul and spirit that causes unavoidable dependence on God’s grace and mercy. And one of the best examples of that in the scripture is Bruh Paul’s conversation with the Lord about removing ‘the thorn in his flesh.’ 

As he puts it in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet (beat) me, lest I should be exalted above measure.’ (2 Cor. 12:7) 

Yeh friends, Bruh Paul had some bodily or mental problem, no one knows for sure what it was, but it was painful (a thorn) and somewhat embarrassing, and he believed it was the devil’s doing, and it also prevented him from exalting himself, from glorying in his own strength and power, because of the amazing revelations that the Lord had showed him. 

And he further explains: ‘For this thing I besought (pleaded with) the Lord thrice (three times), that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses).’ (2 Cor. 12:8-9a) 

What a bam-bam mih people! But it’s the same thing that the Lord is saying to us today, and what He just demonstrated in my life, and has done so often over the thirteen years that I’ve been writing the Bit. I’m trying to do His work, I didn’t ask Him for it, He offered it to me, against my wish (smile), so He keeps on showing His faithfulness, never leaves me in the lurch. 

But that doesn’t mean to say it’s always easy. No sir! Sometimes he makes me work very hard to find out what I need or want to say. But in the end, He always comes through. That’s why I can testify to His awesome faithfulness and the fact that He never gives you something to do without giving you the wherewithal, the anointing to do it. 

But getting back to Bruh Paul, as a result of God’s proclamation, about His ‘strength is made perfect in weakness,’ he then declares (yehhh!) ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:9b-10) 

Oh friends, ah sorry, but I haven’t reached Bruh Paul’s level yet nuh! I can’t say I take pleasure in those things – don’t know if I’ll ever say so – but I know that I can stand strong and handle them with God’s help because I’ve been doing it, the pleasure part though, that’s a different story. (smile) So all it means is that when we are weak, not up to scratch, it’s the opportune time for God to show up and demonstrate His might on our behalf. Look how often He did it for Bruh Paul, through all the trials and tribulations He allowed Him to go through. So He’ll do it for all His people, if we’ll just believe and have faith in His word and His promises. 

And Peter offers an interesting statement, re being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘If ye be so reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:14) Yeh friends, when you suffer for Christ, you are blessed. 

As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12) Yeh precious people, I know that’s easier said than done, but with Jesus’ strength, power and authority, we can do it. 

So let’s go home now offering up our Monday Battle Hymn to Almighty God, asking for His divine help to do what needs to be done. All together now, in confident voice, but humble heart. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. 

We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. 

And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’ 

And as always, sincerity ought to lead to action. So what we waiting for eh? Much LOVE!

…the weakness of God…is stronger than men… (1 (Cor. 1:25a)  

Today’s Scrip-Bit 29 April 2019 Ephesians 2 10.

29 Apr 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 2:10.  For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.
 

At ‘em friends, at ‘em! The weekend is done now and work calls, and as a true believer in Christ, you have to answer the bell on time, diligently and efficiently! And I hear some of you steupsing and muttering: ‘What is his problem eh?  Who he think he is eh, to tell us when to reach to work and how to do our work eh?’ 

Ah mih people, is not me saying that nuh, but your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; that is the example He wants us to set to the world. So please don’t get on my case nuh, cause I’m just the messenger. Doh kill the messenger, just accept the message! (smile) Remember the Good Book says that whatever you do, you ought to do it as unto the Lord and not unto man. 

Anyway, the important thing is to get ourselves out into the workplace and do our duty. And if the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak this morning, then we have something that will liven up both body and spirit; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; that wonderful antidote for whatever ails us on a Monday morning. Glory to God! So let’s get right with it nuh! 

All together in sincerity and strong sense of purpose: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. 

Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Oh yes, I can see it’s working already, by the new pep in your step and the light that’s shining in your eyes. Give God the glory! Then let’s get out into the evil world and do the work God has destined for us; having His grace and mercy and strength to do it diligently and efficiently. 

That brings us to this pertinent reminder of Bruh Paul’s to the Ephesians. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any many should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:8-10) 

Yes friends, those are important things we ought not to forget. It’s only by God’s grace, His unmerited and undeserved favour that we are saved. It is only when we believe in Jesus Christ, are spiritually born again and develop faith in Him, that God’s grace flows down on us and salvation becomes a reality, and not by any good works that we might have done. In fact, there are no good works that we can ever do to merit or deserve salvation! 

And the Lord in His ultimate wisdom made it thus, because He knew that if it were otherwise, men would be boasting all over town about their good works and what it had earned them. That’s why Bruh Paul says that with all his accomplishments and revelations, he was given a ‘thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me (beat him), lest I should be exalted above measure.’ (2 Cor.12:7) 

Whatever it was, it was painful and problematic, causing shame and embarrassment, so that he could not get too big for his britches. And even when he asked the Lord three times to remove the blemish, the Lord refused, stating: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. ((2 Cor.12:9a) And that’s the gospel truth! God’s awesome power is usually more apparent when we are going through times of weakness. 

All of this drove Bruh Paul to declare: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me…for when I am weak, then I am strong.’  (2 Cor. 12:9b, 10b) Good logic friends, so that God’s power may show up more in his life. 

Bruh Paul also resisted boasting of his achievements, when he told the Galatians: ‘But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.’ (Gal.6:14) And so should we too friends, only boast, take pleasure in Jesus’ atonement and all the spiritual blessings it brings, not our own accomplishments. 

But all of that aside, the Lord does want us to do good works, that’s one of the purposes for which He morally recreated us in Christ Jesus. He expects us to be like Christ and do good works when we are born again in the spirit, not just enjoy His largesse without giving back anything. So on this day that we are once again blessed with earthly life and the free gift of salvation, let’s go out and do our bounded duty nuh; good works in Christ’s name. Much LOVE!

…Jesus went about doing good…for God was with Him… (Act.10:38)

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 August 2014 Proverbs 25:27

23 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Proverbs 25:27.   It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory. 

Oh Friends, life’s definitely interesting and amusing yes! And sometimes we need to laugh at it and also take it with a grain of salt. What sparked my enthusiasm today was a quote from one of my daily devotionals. This quote is attributed to one Sydney Smith, but when I tried to find out about him, I discovered that there were several people by that name, including a couple of women.
 
Anyway, I believe they are referring to an English clergyman, wit and writer who lived between 1771 and 1845. The quote states: ‘I have gout, asthma and seven other maladies, but am otherwise well.’
 
That had me laughing because it reminded me of myself. I have numerous maladies myself, but other than that, I’m very well. Hn, hn! It’s like sometimes when I’m asked, ‘How are you?’ I reply, ‘My body’s a mess, but my soul’s in beautiful shape!’ And that’s often the truth.
 
At those times I’m reminded of the old hymn: ‘When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.’
 
Yes my people, that’s how we need to be, regardless of the trials and tribulations we’re going through. No, it’s not always easy, but as true believers in Jesus, we are required to stand strong and persevere.
 
That reminds me of Bruh Paul’s situation. ‘And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet (beat) me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought (pleaded with) the Lord thrice (three times), that it might depart from me.
 
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, than am I strong.’ (2 Cor.12:7-10)  
 
Yes my brethren, in our weakness, God’s strength and majesty are magnified! So much so, that nowadays when some malady, old or new bothers me, I ask the Lord to help me with them, but I don’t keep harping on it, because I’ve learned from hard experience that some things you just need to go through, and in His own time, He will solve the problem(s) one way or another.
 
Now I merely ask Him for the strength to keep on keeping on, while I’m undergoing whatever ailment is then affecting me. It glorifies God when we continue doing what we ought, while undergoing suffering and rough times.
 
That brings us to our Bit, which is tied up to a certain extent with what we’ve already been talking about. ‘It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search (seek) their own glory is not glory.’
 
Rather true and wise words from Cousin Sol!  Too much honey, or today we’d say sugar, is definitely not good for us, neither is too much boasting or self-promotion. As the old people would say; we’re not supposed to blow our own horn.
 
And as Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians, re his spiritual authority: ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.’ (2 Cor. 10:12)
 
Yeh Friends, we’re not supposed to measure and compare ourselves to and by others, for that will only get us in serious trouble. In fact we should not boast of our accomplishments at all!
 
Listen to Cousin Sol as he opens Proverbs 27 by staunchly declaring: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.’ (Prov.27:1-2)
 
Unfortunately though my fellow believers, our current world is one that glorifies boasting. And the sad fact is that our standards are set so low now, that any run of the mill, mediocre accomplishment a few decades ago, are now seen as great stuff. Everybody is an expert, a superstar, or some high flying personality… that is until their Achilles heel is exposed, and they are unseemingly toppled from their haughty pedestal. 
 
Oh my brethren, we all do some things fairly well, but we also do other things poorly. So there’s no need to boast about our doings, especially when whatever we excel at is basically through the workings of Almighty God, through the skills with which He’s endowed and blessed us with.
 
That’s why Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.’ (2 Cor.10:17-18) And that’s the gospel truth my people!
 
And we’ll end with some important info from the scholars on the subject. ’10:17-18. Lest the Corinthians interpret what Paul has to say as an expression of conceit, Paul shows that, in the final analysis, his commendation comes from Christ. Paul was always careful to show that any success he enjoyed in the ministry was not due to his own innate ability, but to Christ working in him.’ (cf. Rom. 15:17-18).’
 
That’s more gospel truth Friends! So please, in all our doings, let’s not try to take the praise and glory that truly belongs God, for remember these specific words out of the mouth of His servant Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is.42:8) 
 
That says it all my fellow believers! So let’s ponder our own glorying today, and if necessary bring it into alignment with God’s Word, through His help obviously. That’s wisdom of the wisest kind! (smile) Much LOVE!
 
…to boast, to boast, and yet to boast…not of myself or of my doings…but of the majesty and glory of Jehovah God…