God's Got This Part 3

 

The Power Of Christ Upon You

You know when I worked in the camp kitchen I made food for anywhere from twenty to over a hundred people. I had a lot of helpers over the years I worked there; and when I asked someone to cut fifteen tomatoes and they said they “got this", I expected that the job would be done.

My friend, God’s got this. He has your life, health, breath and strength in his hands. And he has given you the power of Christ to overcome everything you face. When I was discussing this with a friend, they pointed out something very interesting to me about the following verses.

2 Corinthians 12:7-12

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

We’ve all had thorns in the flesh that we’ve wanted to have removed, and perhaps you’ve even sought God, as Paul did, to have your thorn taken away from you. But for some reason that thorn in the flesh has been left there and sometimes it festers, aches and even becomes infected.

Paul states that his thorn in the flesh was given to him “lest I should be exalted above measure” and it is true that those thorns in the flesh can keep us grounded and allow us to not become prideful. But on the flip side the thorn in the flesh is sometimes a circumstance that happens where we truly need to seek God’s grace to make it through.

Everyone focuses on the words, “my grace is sufficient for thee” but we really shouldn’t just stop there. God has given us much more than just grace to meet these trials in life. Notice the following words:

“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Paul would rather glory in his infirmities than get dejected and depressed because in those moments he saw God’s power working. Whether your infirmities be health related, relationships, emotional, financial or spiritual. Every ‘infirmity’ you can think of God has given power that rests upon you that you can tap into and use. With that in mind we can glory in our infirmities because they can’t overcome us.

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

In your weakest moments you are strong because of the power you have been given through Christ. Just stay strong and faithful during those moments. Paul was one of the greatest men in the bible because of his ministry, but when you see what he went through in his life the appreciation of those verses he shared becomes more real.

Paul had to overcome his past - he pursued and killed Christians before he was finally blinded for three days and then saw the light again. He had many challenges during the present time when he wrote about glorying in infirmities:

2 Corinthians 11:24-28

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

His future - it is believed that he was eventually beheaded. And yet despite all that he went through on a daily basis and was going to go through - he still took pleasure in his infirmities because he rested in God’s power and trusted that God would take care of it.

After all Paul had seen heaven and knew what was in store for him after his death so he trusted God with his life completely. We also have been given a glimpse of heaven through God’s word.

1 Corinthians 2:9

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

The bottom line to remember is that God loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. Can’t we trust him to take care of us in all our infirmities?

Romans 8:35, 37

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

The Lord has allowed us to be conquerors in the world not to be conquered. So step into the power that God has given to you and conquer your infirmities!

To be continued....