IBS 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (9-23-14)

Inductive Bible Study for 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (9-23-14)

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Today during my devotions, I was meditating on the Word and praying. I also looked back on previous months in my journal to reflect on the change that God has done in me. For example, last month on the 23^rd was my birthday, and I prayed fervently for my family instead of making a wish as I blew out my candles. I kept going further back - July 23^rd, June 23^rd, and so on. I finally got to January 23^rd and found that I had written about my parents and my conflicted heart about my ex-boyfriend. I looked at the next day (24^th) and saw that it was on this day that I surrendered to the Holy Spirit for the first time. All these pressures in my life had driven me to see my incredible need to relinquish control to my Savior.

That was the night that Pastor Mike had given the invitation to surrender to the Spirit. I wrote “I was fighting so hard for the first couple minutes during the invitation - I did NOT want God to have His Way in me. I was content to just be saved, and I didn’t want Him to have my whole heart. I broke down and went forward - I was bawling. I needed the Holy Spirit to have my life, I had been making a mess of my life. I have so much peace inside now.” I can’t even describe the peace and joy that flooded over me in those precious moments of brokenness. I’m not sure when I got saved, but that night was the first time I experienced true freedom from fear, depression and the need for control. I saw my neediness, my distresses and all my imperfections.

These verses talk about when Paul was asking God to take away a thorn in his flesh, and God tells him that His grace is sufficient. I begged God to make my life perfect and take away the pain I was feeling, but I see now that these things were vital to me seeing my need for Jesus. God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness. If I had never gone through pain and heartache, I never would have been broken. If I had kept struggling (in vain) to stay strong on my own, I never would have had to admit that I needed anyone else to help me. I am not strong because of anything I’ve done - I am strong because Christ is having His perfect Way in my heart and life. I am so weak, broken and empty by myself, but Jesus loves that! He wants me to be fully reliant on Him so that He can strengthen, shape and fill me.

I never want to forget how much I need Jesus. I never want to walk in my own strength. I never want to leave my Savior for something or someone that will let me down. The problem is that I’m human - I’m going to be prideful and fail. This is why it’s so important to have a constant relationship with God - He knows we can’t do it on our own, and all we have to do is ask Him!!! It’s ridiculous how simple it is, yet how difficult we make it. This is my application - I’m going to keep it with me wherever I go to remind me of what Jesus is doing in and through me.