Wanted: Empty, Broken vessels!
Verse for Today: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
2 Corinthians 12:9b – Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
It is human tendency to speak more and more often about their strengths and merits rather than their weaknesses and failures. Humans often boast about their achievements and smartness and try to cover up their losses and mistakes. They also try to put blame for their failures on extraneous forces like other people and situations. But if we are in Christ, our attitude towards our weaknesses and failures will be different. We will then see ourselves as weak and the Lord as strong in us. As Apostle Paul, we would then be willing to admit our weaknesses and failures and rap these failures and keep it at the feet of Jesus. When we admit our emptiness and absolute weakness in accomplishing any thing for the Lord, our Lord will put His strength in us and use us for His glory. Admitting our emptiness is not in itself weakness, but it is strength in our character to admit our true state. Even if we claim and boast about our smartness, it is weak in itself and utterly meaningless before God. When we claim to be efficient and effective in ourselves, we are in effect glorifying our self. We are called upon to crucify our fleshly claims, declare them as dead and bury them at the foot of the cross. In all that we say or do, we must be able to openly admit that it is the strength of the Lord which works in us and not our own natural abilities. Whoever tried it in the way of the world is found to be ultimately a failure as seen in human life day after day. We see them as great green trees, but after some time, they are not seen there because they do not have any strength in themselves.
Dear reader, are you feeling weak and empty in your heart? Do you feel embarrassed when others ridicule you because of failures in life? Does it crush your emotions when others write you off as a failure? Remember, this was how your Lord was when He was on this earth. He was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was like a worm and a feeble lamb before its shearers. Yet, His life was proved to be the embodiment of great strength and power. His power is available to all who are willing to admit their weaknesses and failures and submit their broken lives to Him. If only we admit our weakness before Him that He will fill us with His power. Those who are strong and powerful in their own stead do not need any strengthening by the Lord. David was so week as to run around like a dog for life, but God raised him up to king. Jeremiah was so weak that the rebellious people tossed him around. But his life was a reservoir of the power of God as he spoke the Word of the Lord. Abel was weak and could easily be murdered, but he still speaks loudly about the power of God even as he became a martyr. Moses was a fearful and weak man who knew only how to tend sheep in a desert, but the Lord strengthened him to lead about 2 million people through a desert for 40 years. The weak Moses could face the most powerful emperor of that time fearlessly. Elijah and John the Baptizer could face emperors and religious leaders without fear. The fearful Gideon was used by God to defeat the powerful Midianites. Peter the coward was able to preach to a large crowd and lead 3,000 to the Kingdom of God. Today our Lord is looking for broken and empty people who are willing to admit their nothingness to Him so that He can pour His power into them and use them to accomplish His purpose. So dear reader, there is no need for you to wallow over your weaknesses and lack of resourcefulness, but to simply confess your emptiness before God. Surrender yourself to full obedience and the Lord will use you as He used Elijah, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Paul.
Galatians 6:14 – May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!
Thought for Today
God will reshape the broken and contrite lives of His children and empower them for His service.
2 Corinthians 12:9b – Most gladly, therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
It is human tendency to speak more and more often about their strengths and merits rather than their weaknesses and failures. Humans often boast about their achievements and smartness and try to cover up their losses and mistakes. They also try to put blame for their failures on extraneous forces like other people and situations. But if we are in Christ, our attitude towards our weaknesses and failures will be different. We will then see ourselves as weak and the Lord as strong in us. As Apostle Paul, we would then be willing to admit our weaknesses and failures and rap these failures and keep it at the feet of Jesus. When we admit our emptiness and absolute weakness in accomplishing any thing for the Lord, our Lord will put His strength in us and use us for His glory. Admitting our emptiness is not in itself weakness, but it is strength in our character to admit our true state. Even if we claim and boast about our smartness, it is weak in itself and utterly meaningless before God. When we claim to be efficient and effective in ourselves, we are in effect glorifying our self. We are called upon to crucify our fleshly claims, declare them as dead and bury them at the foot of the cross. In all that we say or do, we must be able to openly admit that it is the strength of the Lord which works in us and not our own natural abilities. Whoever tried it in the way of the world is found to be ultimately a failure as seen in human life day after day. We see them as great green trees, but after some time, they are not seen there because they do not have any strength in themselves.
Dear reader, are you feeling weak and empty in your heart? Do you feel embarrassed when others ridicule you because of failures in life? Does it crush your emotions when others write you off as a failure? Remember, this was how your Lord was when He was on this earth. He was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was like a worm and a feeble lamb before its shearers. Yet, His life was proved to be the embodiment of great strength and power. His power is available to all who are willing to admit their weaknesses and failures and submit their broken lives to Him. If only we admit our weakness before Him that He will fill us with His power. Those who are strong and powerful in their own stead do not need any strengthening by the Lord. David was so week as to run around like a dog for life, but God raised him up to king. Jeremiah was so weak that the rebellious people tossed him around. But his life was a reservoir of the power of God as he spoke the Word of the Lord. Abel was weak and could easily be murdered, but he still speaks loudly about the power of God even as he became a martyr. Moses was a fearful and weak man who knew only how to tend sheep in a desert, but the Lord strengthened him to lead about 2 million people through a desert for 40 years. The weak Moses could face the most powerful emperor of that time fearlessly. Elijah and John the Baptizer could face emperors and religious leaders without fear. The fearful Gideon was used by God to defeat the powerful Midianites. Peter the coward was able to preach to a large crowd and lead 3,000 to the Kingdom of God. Today our Lord is looking for broken and empty people who are willing to admit their nothingness to Him so that He can pour His power into them and use them to accomplish His purpose. So dear reader, there is no need for you to wallow over your weaknesses and lack of resourcefulness, but to simply confess your emptiness before God. Surrender yourself to full obedience and the Lord will use you as He used Elijah, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Paul.
Galatians 6:14 – May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!
Thought for Today
God will reshape the broken and contrite lives of His children and empower them for His service.
CONTACT US: todayintheword@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment