IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2010
FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:
Sun, August 29, 2010 4:15:14 PM — Jackson
From Melinda: NEWS JUST IN! Jackson opened his eyes!! Just after the doc left…He is groggy but he opened his eyes! Thanks be to God! And to all of you who have prayed and prayed.. Keep ‘em coming!
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
I’ve been spending a little time this sweet Friday afternoon preparing for Sunday School. We are about to finish up 2 Corinthians.
Paul had a heck of time with the Corinthians. They were not void of good qualities and were even generous at times; but often they were not FUN!
It was yang yang this and yang yang that. You’ve heard the sayings ‘chip on your shoulder’ and ‘wearing your feelings on your sleeves’? Well they did! And added to that they were prone to gossip — spreading it and believing it! How would you like to have friends like that? Perhaps you do!
Let me share some of my teaching notes with you: (A little p.s. here – this lesson is Sunday School Quarterly timed, as far as I know nobody is spreading rumors and gossip about me. :) )
In Chapter 10:4-5, Paul penned: for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ;
This is how Paul survived the rumors, criticisms and lies that were being told about him. He remembered who he was in Christ and he surrendered the accusing rumors to JESUS when they flooded his mind. This is a tool we would do well to utilize. And had the Corinthians embraced these verses they would not have believed the rumors about Paul; they would have been a comfort to him rather than a source of pain.
How can we use these verses when we hear rumors about a brother or sister?
I want to share one more verse and then we’ll pray.
2 Corinthians 12:21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.
I told you they gave him a heck of a time!
You see I think Paul was thinking this third visit with the Corinthians was NOT GOING TO BE FUN.
I looked up the word humiliate in my Greek on-line lexicon. It’s tapeinoo and of the many meanings I think this one fits: to humble or abase myself by humble living
At this stage of my Scriptural understanding I am inclined to believe Paul was saying in verse 21, I am expecting to be doing some humble living while I am with you. He had already said he would not be a burden to them so unless he had a pocket of cash saved up, he would be needing to pick up some odd jobs while there. He would have to make sure he did not wear his best suit (as some had already accused him of putting on ‘airs’) and that’s just the material aspects of his visit. The spiritual task that awaited him was dealing with all their behavior problems and the stiff necks and proud hearts of those who have refused to repent of their immoral practices. I think he was thinking this ain’t gonna be a fun visit.
And yet he was willing. His love for JESUS and his love for the people enabled him to do what was not fun, what was painful and grievous, just to help others come into a right relationship with JESUS.
I’m encouraged. Aren’t you?
Some hours have expired since this lesson began and You LORD have been so faithful to us. We are grateful and encouraged with this news regarding Jackson and we pray for this child to be fully healed and we pray for his mother to regain her strength and health quickly. We intercede as well for his daddy and all the family even as Melinda has shared their needs; we entrust them to You, confident that You know best and will provide for them. We are confident that You are loving and providing too for all on our Praying for These list and for our IDOK Troops too. Thank You for all the good reports that have come to us since our last meeting here and thank You that even in the reports that are hard to receive, You are still LORD and still our Provider, Protector, Healer — All we need You are. Amen and amen.
