All Grace

II Cor. 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

The motivation and empowerment for all that I do is grace, all-abounding grace. It is so all-encompassing that it gives me all sufficiency in all things at all times. There is nothing that grace cannot handle, no defeat, no trial, no affliction, no deprivation, no persecution, etc. In this chapter Paul is dealing specifically with giving. If I give sparingly, I will reap sparingly. If I sow bountifully, I will reap bountifully. God wants me to give out of the all-abounding grace that flows into my life and out to others. I will be enriched in every good way to be generous in every way. The end result is thanksgiving to God! Giving is not just concerned with meeting the needs of the saints, but is also concerned with giving many thanks to God. Just as I am to give liberally to others, I should give God thanksgiving liberally. All of this brings glory to God! Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!

Father,
Give me a generous heart to meet the needs of others and to give thanks to You repeatedly and enthusiastically.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Giving-an Act of Grace

II Cor. 8:5

...and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

In a severe test of affliction, the Macedonian church's abundance of joy and extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity. They gave above and beyond their means. In fact, they begged to take part in the relief of the saints. How unexpected! How could this be? I can remember so clearly  our years of poverty when we barely scraped by. I certainly did not feel like overflowing in a wealth of generosity. In fact, I was hanging on to every penny as tightly as I could. Perhaps that is why those hard years are not a good memory for me, but they were a great memory for these churches. In fact, it was not just a memory but became their reputation. Paul then goes on to urge the Corinthian church to excel in giving as an act of grace just like they had excelled in faith, speech, and knowledge. I feel my heart challenged as well to excel in this act of grace. Perhaps my attitude all those years ago reflected a huge lack of faith and relationship with God. I do know that those years were a low point of my spiritual life; in fact, my entire life. I think it must all be tied together. Giving comes from a heart in close fellowship with Jesus. If not it becomes a draining duty!

Father,
Thank You for warming my heart and bringing me through those terrible years. Continue to teach me to grow in giving, faith, speech, and knowledge.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Promises

II Cor. 7:1

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Since we have what promises?

• I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them.
• I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
• I will be a Father to You
• You shall be my sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

This intimate, familial relationship with the Lord Almighty should be life changing for me. It should make me seek cleansing from every defilement of body and spirit. Sin should be abhorrent to me! It should put within me a desire for holiness that is only completed in the fear of God. God wants me to be holy as He is holy. How would I know His holiness? I think the only way is knowing Him in this intimate, personal way. He will live in me, and I will abide in Him. I will be His daughter, and He will be my Father. What a relationship that God has given me! What and life changing and life transforming result!

Father,

I understand this in theory, but how do I make it a reality. Teach me and grow me into this cleansing, awareness of sin, and holiness. Thank You for all the promises in Your word.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Love of Christ Controls Us

II Cor. 5:14-15

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.

Christ's love, a love without parallel, is what controls my every thought, word, and deed. Because of His great sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, I no longer live for myself but for Him. In theory this sounds so right and just, but in reality is it true? Am I no longer living for self? Am I living only for Him? How would it look if I did live every minute for Christ? What Christ did for me was the ultimate sacrifice. He left heaven, His father, suffered, was tortured, died a cruel death, and was raised to life again all so that He could reconcile man to the Father. Yet, what is my response? Do I take this for granted? I know that it is not my performance that makes me right with God, but still I should live like the same love that took Jesus to the cross controls my life. What a great love!

Father,
Show me how to live so that the love of Christ controls me constantly
In Jesus name,
Amen

Jars of Clay

II Cor. 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

It is amazing that God gave us Jesus to dwell in our bodies, in our jars of clay, that we would have within us a treasure beyond compare when our total worth is merely a jar of clay. Why? It says simply to show that the surpassing power belongs to God, a power that supersedes all other and encompasses everything. His power chooses to do such a thing to bring glory to Himself. For that very reason when we are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, we are never alone. We never give way under the pressure because not only do we carry the death of Jesus [death to sin and its crushing and defeating load] but we carry the life of Jesus [His resurrection power]. What heavy thoughts! Afflictions and persecutions are not just bad times, but they are opportunities to show God's power. Being perplexed and feeling struck down is no longer defeating and immobilizing, but is an opportunity to show the resurrection power of Jesus. Knowing this gives a reason for this pain and suffering, but does it make it easier to bear? Do I believe that His resurrection power brought life from death? Yes, then I must believe that this same power can impact my life giving me strength and grace to withstand and endure.

Father,
Continue to teach me the reality of these verses. Help me to rely on You and Your amazing power so that I may be a jar of clay that brings glory to You.
In Jesus name,
Amen

What Is My Fragrance?

II Cor. 2:14-16

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Whatever I am or am not, it is because of Christ. I thank Him for in Him I am triumphant and through Him He spreads the fragrance of His knowledge. What a mission for me! I am to be the vehicle through which His fragrance is spread to others. My distinguishing fragrance should be Christ, not me, not my desires, dreams, goals, etc, and certainly not the world. Whatever I do, say, think, or feel, it should smell of Jesus Christ. Is His fragrance strong? Is it one that stops people short and confronts them? Is it one that makes them either desire it or reject it? On the other hand, have I masked the fragrance so much that it is not even noticeable? In my struggle for acceptance, have I tried to hide that identifying smell? Certainly, it is not a background fragrance, but one that demands acknowledgment. Luke says that it is a fragrance that separates even family members demanding 100% loyalty and allegiance. It cannot be worn only at certain times [when I am around other believers], but instead must become me, my identification, my reason for living. Since I am His and He is in me, I smell different!

Father,

Give me the courage and the grace to smell of Christ everywhere. Show me how to be this life-giving fragrance and to share it with those who need it most.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Comfort

II Cor. 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Who doesn't like comfort? Not too many people. Who would willingly choose pain, suffering, and affliction? The only one that I can think of is Jesus who chose all that for me that I could be reconciled to God. Sadly, pain, suffering, affliction, trials, hard times, disease, loss, grief, etc. are all part of life. But God promises to comfort us in those afflictions no matter the nature. I notice He doesn't promise to eliminate them. Why? I think it is those hard times that draw us closer to Him that make us cry out for His grace and claim His promises. How much drawing, crying, and claiming do we do in the good times? Sadly, we are too busy enjoying the good times! He comforts us not just for ourselves, but so that we can comfort others. We can minister to others of the wonderful grace of God that we have personally experienced. The promise is For as we share abundantly in Christ' s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. What an anchor is this!

A few verses after Paul taught these great truths, he tells of his own experiences. The afflictions he experienced in Asia utterly burdened him beyond his strength so much so that he despaired of life. Indeed he felt he had received the sentence of death. Whoa! That is some major suffering and affliction. Why did he share these intensely personal feeling? So that he could share what he had learned. But this was to make him rely not on himself but on God who raises the death. The suffering took him to the end of himself, and it is only there, that he could rely on God. Oh how painful to get to the end of ourselves! But God did deliver him, and he set his hope on that deliverance again. For all the promises of God find their yes in Jesus Christ. It is all YES for me because of Jesus, because I am His, because He has saved me, because His blood has covered me, because He indwells me, and because nothing, NOTHING can separate me from His love! Praise God!

Father,

I must confess I have felt this same way. Despair and being burdened beyond my strength has become my daily grind. Help me, Lord, to cling to Your promises. Help me to find my YES in You. Help me to rely only on You and not on myself.

In Jesus name,

Amen