The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 17 June 2015 "God Pause Daily Devotion" Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

The Lutheran Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 17 June 2015 "God Pause Daily Devotion" Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1 As God’s fellow-workers we also urge you not to receive his grace and then do nothing with it. 2 For he says,

“At the acceptable time I heard you;

in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]

3 We try not to put obstacles in anyone’s path, so that no one can find fault with the work we do. 4 On the contrary, we try to commend ourselves in every way as workers for God by continually enduring troubles, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, overwork, lack of sleep and food. 6 We commend ourselves by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by the Ruach HaKodesh; by genuineness of love 7 and truthfulness of speech; and by God’s power. We commend ourselves through our use of righteous weapons, whether for pressing our cause or defending it; 8 through being honored and dishonored, praised and blamed, considered deceptive and sincere, 9 unknown and famous. And we commend ourselves as God’s workers headed for death, yet look! we’re alive! as punished, yet not killed; 10 as having reason to be sad, yet always filled with joy; as poor, yet making many people rich; as having nothing, yet having everything!

11 Dear friends in Corinth! We have spoken frankly to you, we have opened our hearts wide. 12 Any constraint you feel has not been imposed by us, but by your own inner selves. 13 So, just to be “fair” (I am using the language of children), open wide your hearts too.[Footnotes:

2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8][Complete Jewish Bible]

When I hear Paul's witness to the Corinthians: "See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" I can just hear Job responding, "Where was that word when I needed it?!"
Last summer my wife and I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail through Oregon. We were out on the trail for 38 days. Amazingly enough ourcell phone provider offers 4G even in the middle of nowhere! So, we were able to keep a blog—and friends left us messages of encouragement. I remember climbing steep grades, checking the phone and thinking, "Gee, it sure would be nice to have somebody tell us how awesome we are right now!"
Because of God's grace for you in Christ, now is the day of your awesomeness. That's the gospel for today. With the winds, and the waves, and the reeling, and the staggering, sometimes comes the acceptable time when God moves among us with power. You don't have to understand it; just let it be. Just be open to God's presence.
Lord of sea and sky, may the heavens open this day and the waves die away. Now is the acceptable time. Let me be what you want me to be. I am ready. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Dave Brauer-Rieke
Bishop, Oregon Synod, ELCA
Master of Divinity , 1982
2 Corinthians 6:1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
2 For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!
3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love,
7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
9 as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed;
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you.
12 There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours.
13 In return—I speak as to children--open wide your hearts also.[New Revised Standard Versiion]

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