EXPAND TO READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 4): I have failed quite often in both accepting Your comfort at times, but also in overflowing that comfort You’ve provided me to others. I often find myself trying to provide comfort to myself in my own way and then possibly relaying that faulty comfort to others if I “feel like it” in the moment. This is not what You expect of me and I am sorry; please forgive me for my selfishness in this way, Father. When I do allow Your comfort to reign supreme in my heart and overflow in me, it is a feeling I cannot measure nor describe fully, so I do not know why I am still hesitant, selfish, and stubborn at times in that reception. Help me to be better, Father, so that in those times I am suffering, stressed, or overwhelmed, I truly lean on You through it all instead of trying to “handle it” by myself.
PROMISE (verses 19-20): These two verses give us a promise that did such a drastic and amazing change from the Old Testament way of receiving promises to a new way in the New Testament. You promise us that the “yes/no” promises of the Old Testament are gone and that all promises are now a “yes” through Jesus. Thank You so much for the promise of Jesus and what He brings to our spirit, our hearts, and our eternal lives. I personally feel that the New Testament way of living, thanks to Jesus, is the biggest promise and fulfillment of a promise You have ever made to us solely because our eternal salvation is truly attainable now as a result of Jesus even through our flaws, distractions, sinful nature, and fleshly weaknesses. Thank You for this ultimate sacrifice that gave us the amazing, fulfilled promise of Jesus to cover everything and become our eternal “yes” in this life.
ATTITUDE (verse 12): This one verse has so much in it that I have and sometimes still do struggle within my faith. I am not currently and never have been since coming to faith been a “perfect follower” of You and I am sorry for that. I am weak in my flesh and still to this day cling to many of my fleshly habits and desires. In this verse, however, You ask us to live in an attitude of sincerity and purity towards You and our faith; not by our own fleshly wisdom, but by God’s grace. Help me to be better at living in Your wisdom and Your grace, Father, so that I no longer make so many poor decisions in this life and then beat myself up over them after the fact. Help me to be better at embracing the attitudes of God-given sincerity and purity in my faith and my daily walk in this life, so that my thoughts, actions, and motives are no longer based on my fleshly wisdom and desires but Yours.
COMMAND (verse 12): Such a powerful single verse in this scripture. I probably could have done my entire journal on this one verse had I not felt You speaking loudly to me in other verses today. I do feel this verse also contains a command because You are telling us that our conscience should be a testimony to Your kingdom based on how we conduct ourselves in this world. You tell us that we should live this life with God-given sincerity and purity, not by our fleshly wisdom and desires but by God’s grace. As I mentioned above, I have failed at this on so many levels in my life since coming to faith, but I have gotten better recently. Help me to continue to improve at living in this command, Father, so that I can give a God-given testimony through my conscience that Your kingdom ways are the best for living in this world and that Your grace is sufficient for anything we do in this life.
EXAMPLE (verses 10-11): You give so many examples for us to live by in scripture. This example is clearly on the power of prayer in our lives and how we should be consistent and faithful in our prayer lives not only for ourselves, but also for others. Paul writes to Corinth that they have been delivered from death due to the prayers of both him and the people of Corinth combined. Their prayers along with Paul and his companions resulted in a gift that came to them as a result of the prayers of many. This shows me just how powerful prayer is meant to be to us in this life and I am sorry for not truly fulfilling this way of living in my life. I do pray, but likely not even close to how often You expect of me so that Your glory, power, and grace can be spread to the many. Help me to be better in my prayer life, Father, so that I can truly embrace a consistent, strong, and fruitful relationship with You through my prayer life for both myself and for others.
*DAILY NOTE: 2 Corinthians is taking over where 1 Corinthians left off in terms of the amazing lessons, counsel, instruction, and conviction You are relaying to me through my quiet time conversations with You, Father. Thank You so much for this time spent this morning in the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. It amazes me how many lessons You always have to give me when I am willing to listen to You and hear what You have to say to me. I’ve read this particular chapter many times, but often with a closed mind and heart unfortunately. Today I have read this with an openness and acceptance that I have never read it with before and as a result I have received such a great blessing from Your counsel. Thank You for being a patience teacher to me, Father, because I cannot say that I would have been as patient with another person that refused my teachings and counsel as often as I have towards You. Thank You for Your wisdom, counsel, guidance, and instruction and for Your never-ceasing grace and patience towards me, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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