And He has said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
One of the most amazing things about being a bondslave of Christ is the great exchanges we make with Him. I give Him my weaknesses; He gives me His strength. I give Him all my sins; He gives me His righteousness. I give Him my foolishness; and He gives me His wisdom. As I yield and surrender all areas of my life to Him, He makes me what I am not. He truly can make us new creatures through Christ and obeying the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
We were all created for the glory of God. In Isaiah 43:7 we read:
"Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed even whom I have made."
This truth should do wonders for your self esteem, and make you know you didn’t just evolve into life by chance. Each one of us was formed by an all powerful God to be loved by Him and for us to love Him above all else, as He does us. Then the great exchanges begin in our lives! We learn to bring all our weaknesses to Him and to totally depend on His love and strength to make us what we are not, because of being imprisoned within our selfish natures. The end result is we become vessels of His glory and not our own. His glory is His goodness. (Exodus 33:18-19)
When people look at my life they will not necessarily see an easy life without a lot of pain and sorrow. That is true for most and some more than others. But what they can see, if they have eyes to see, is the glory of God all over my life! No matter what anyone has done to me in life His goodness, power, strength, and love has covered me. Truly if you have followed my life you cannot deny the faithfulness of God in all my weaknesses, sorrows, injuries, and rejections.
We all are invited to become trophies of His grace and glory as Paul was. No one lived a more difficult life than Paul as a disciple of Christ, and no one’s life brought more glory to God. Paul was a murderer of the church of Christ, very religious and self righteous, arrogant, mighty in his own strength…and then the great exchange happened. Saul became Paul. He truly repented when Jesus revealed Himself to Him. (Acts 9:3-18) This is what true repentance looks like. We do a 360 degree complete U-turn, and become what we were not within ourselves.
May Paul’s life encourage us all today. Let us not try to hide our weaknesses from God or each other. God help us to empty out before our loving jFather and be filled with the power and strength of His Spirit. He has everything we need. Make the great exchange today totally surrendering our weaknesses for His power to be perfected through us for His glory alone. Remember His glory is His goodness. (Exodus 33:19-8-19)
Selah!
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
Lavished in the glory of God’s goodness on the Gully Creek Trail hiking this week at Cumberland Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Finished totally refreshed within!
