Weakness…Strength

Struggles, heartaches, hurdles, storms, distress, health problems and obstacles, seem to be the norm these days. But don’t despair, God has not forgotten us, He has given us these unlovely situations to help us grow and mature in Him. If we lean on Him and seek strength and power through Him, we will become better, we will grow in grace. In 2013 don’t give up and don’t give in. When you fall down, get back up again. Look to Jesus because He will never leave you alone, even when it doesn’t feel like He is there.

In 2 Corinthians 12, the writer, Paul, talks about an infirmity that he has. No one knows exactly what the infirmity was, but it caused Paul some stress to the point where sometimes he could not work. He asked the Lord to remove the infirmity three times but God did not. Paul learned that the limitations from his infirmity caused him to depend more on God for his effectiveness in his ministry. He learned that God’s grace was and is always sufficient. We too must learn to depend more and more on God and not our own strength, efforts, and talents.

2 Corinthians 12:6-10 (NIV)

“Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given 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.”

 

30 Days Of…Day 19 – “Blessing Blockers”

 

On Sunday, the guest minister’s topic was “Blessing Blockers.” The topic caught my attention immediately. It made me think, how many times have I blocked blessings that I could have had. How many times could things have gone better if only I had not blocked blessings because I was afraid to step out on faith, or because I refused to forgive. How many times have I built up a wall that kept me in, but also didn’t allow God or anyone else in. If we don’t want to lose our blessings we must let go of those things that block us from receiving God’s best.

Blessing Blockers

1. Fear (fear of the unknown)
2. Unbelief (not believing God’s Word)
3. Un-forgiveness (when we don’t forgive others don’t expect God to forgive us)
4. Bitterness
5. Anger
6. Coveting (to wrongfully want something belonging to another)
7. Deceit
8. Gossip

This only a short list of things that can block us from receiving God’s best. We must give  all our blessing blockers to God and let Him handle them. Don’t let them take over and cause us not to be victorious.

Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified)

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—”