The
older I get, the frailer my body becomes. Falling is a constant threat due to
failing balance issues. Illnesses pop up that I never experienced before now.
My memory is diminishing, and my physical and mental abilities are reduced.
Thankfully,
my spirit is stronger than ever. I have learned the voice of God, and I can
follow the leading of His Spirit continually from one moment to the next. My
intimacy with God is at an all-time high.
At
the grocery store today, a fellow shopper stopped me mid-aisle and stated,
"You are a Christian, aren't you?" Surprised and humbled, but
encouraged, I said, "You better believe it." He said, "I can
tell. The Holy Spirit radiates all around you."
I
appreciated that God chose to encourage me with those words. It reminded me of
a slogan I once read, "Preach the Gospel of Jesus at all times; if
necessary, use words." Christ in us gives testimony to His unfailing
presence in us, as well as His unity with us.
When
we are at our weakest, that is when God is His strongest in us. He employs us
to share His Truth with a world that is built on illusions and delusions. As we
offer our life to Him as a living sacrifice, He uses us for His Glory and for
the advancement of His Kingdom on the earth.
God's grace in us and on us is sufficient for all of our needs, and His power in us is made perfect through our increasing weaknesses. We have no accomplishments on which to boast, because our feebleness allows Jesus' power to shine through us (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We
delight in our physical limitations, in deprivation, in abandonment, in insults
from others, in persecution, and in all of our troubles and failing health;
because when we are at our weakest, His power in us is at its strongest (2
Corinthians 12:10).
Prayer:
Father
God, circumstances in the world in which we live get more perilous with each
passing day. A financial collapse, a current event, or a natural
catastrophe can bring the world to its knees at any moment. However, we have no
need to fear, because everything is under Your ultimate control and power.
Nothing is too difficult for You to work out for our ultimate good (Luke 18:27;
Romans 8:28).
Your
perfect plans unfold one day at a time. With Your powerful peace in our heart,
we reflect Your light to the dying world around us. Help us to remove every
trace of self-reliance from our soul, and to trust only and completely in You. Our
delight is to see Your power, which works in and through us, as it draws people
to You like a magnet (Matthew 5:16).
Thought
for the Day:
As
ambassadors for Christ on this earth, we cooperate as God's Spirit uses us to
plead with others, and to call them to repentance and reconciliation to God; as
we all approach God with empty hearts, He can fill all of us to our fullest
with all of Himself.
-
2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 3:16-19
