Everyone wants power…everyone wants to feel powerful….every (or most) Christians longs for that “Acts” power: the casting out of demons, the laying on of hands, the signs and miracles, the prophecy, the tongues, the evangelical anointing, the grace to just DO MORE for His kingdom but how many of us are ready to do what it takes to get it!?…
I’d like to turn our attention to 2 Corinthians…famous scripture that has been used and abused so many times:
2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will rather gladly boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me. (LITV)
My POWER is PERFECTED in your WEAKNESS… this means if you are not WEAK you will not have the power…power only comes after a state of brokenness and weakness…
Last night I was having my devotion and was in some sence “complaining” about the breakage that God is doing to my heart, just letting Him know how overwhelming it was becoming, and I asked for a word, and He gave me this Scripture. To me its message is simple: “I have to weaken you so I can rebuild you in my power…”
Let’s jump back to the previous verses in the chapter:
2Co 12:1 Really, to boast is not profitable to me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.2Co 12:2 I know a man in Christ fourteen years before–whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows–such a one was caught up to the third Heaven.2Co 12:3 And I know such a man–whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows–2Co 12:4 that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which a man is not permitted to speak.2Co 12:5 On behalf of such a one I will boast. But I will not boast on my behalf, except in my weaknesses.2Co 12:6 For if I desire to boast, I will not be foolish, for I speak the truth. But I spare, lest anyone reckons me to be beyond what he sees me or hears anything of me.2Co 12:7 And by the superabundance of the revelations, that I not be made arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, that he might buffet me, that I not be made haughty.2Co 12:8 Beyond this I entreated the Lord three times, that it depart from me.2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will rather gladly boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me.2Co 12:10 Because of this, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in dire needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Christ. For when I may be weak, then I am powerful.
This is what Paul is saying:
Really and truly, there is no point in me boasting, because all I am is by the grace of God so I’ll only end up just referring back to the visions and revelations He’s given me. I know some people who know some AMAZING things, and I can on that, but in and of myself, I can only boast of how weak I am. You know what, even if I decided to boast, i wouldn’t be foolish because I’d be speaking The Truth, but Lets not go there so that people don’t think I’m arrogant init…anyway, I have this ONE weakness that God has ALLOWED so that my humility will remain…I’ve prayed, and prayed for Him to remove it, but He won’t because He wants me to learn that in MY weakness, His power is shown…in order for His power to be shown, I need to be weak…So you know what, BRING ON THE WEAKNESS…if that’s what will show forth God’s glory in my life, if that’s what will show forth His power, weakness it is…
2Co 12:10 Because of this, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in dire needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of Christ. For when I may be weak, then I am powerful.
