The Lutheran Seminary of saint Paul, Minnesota, United States "God Pause Daily Devotion" for Wednesday, 17 June 2015 - Scripture:2 Corinthians 4:13 The Tanakh says, “I trusted, therefore I spoke.”[a] Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust, we also trust and therefore speak; 14 because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence. 15 All this is for your sakes, so that as grace flows out to more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God.
Sometimes, I want to quit a journey I previously thought was my call. Consequently, I attempt to interpret inconveniences or challenges as "signs" God does not want me to continue. These misinterpreted signs might be an insignificant succession of technological glitches, critical remarks, unfulfilled commitments and/or sparse resources. These inconveniences are nothing akin to the enormous barriers faced by our neighbors emigrating from poverty and/or violence. My challenges are inconsequential compared to Paul's afflictions, beatings, shipwrecks and imprisonments.
16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily. 17 For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description. 18 We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal.
5:1 We know that when the tent which houses us here on earth is torn down, we have a permanent building from God, a building not made by human hands, to house us in heaven.[Footnotes:
2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10]
Remarkably, Paul assesses his desperate circumstances and yet rejoices in them! He realizes human frailty is the perfect context to reveal God's miraculous strength and love. If we could swoop in as all-powerful, caped superheroes who defeat evil and save the world, we would be God. However, God is God and we are not. So, no matter how insignificant our inconveniences or how enormous our desperate circumstances, be assured God is with us.
Ever-present God, we rejoice that you are God and we are not. Forgive us when we use challenges as excuses to give up. Help us accept our human frailties and continue in our calls' journeys with trust that you are always with us. Amen.
Mary Simonson Clark
Redeemer Partner Engagement, Minneapolis, Minn.
Adjunct Instructor, Social Work, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minn.
Master of Arts in Theology/Master of Social Work , 2007
2 Corinthians 4:13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—"I believed, and so I spoke"—we also believe, and so we speak,
14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.
15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.[New Revised Standard Version]
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment