EXPAND TO READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 6 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 6): I must be walking better in my faith than I did in the past, because I feel You have been coming at me pretty direct as of late in my quiet times with You, Father. Right off the top, the very first verse in today’s quiet time is convicting to me. For most of my faith journey, I have received and taken Your grace in vain, but in this verse You tell us not to. I have been selfish, self-righteous, prideful, and immature in my faith, yet Your grace has always been there for me. I have wasted and abused Your grace, yet You have been never ceasing in giving it. Please forgive me for my immaturity towards Your grace, Father. Thank You for always showering me with Your grace even when I am completely undeserving of it. Thank You for never giving up on me even when I gave up on myself at times.
PROMISE (verse 2): Your timing in this life is not the same as mine, which has frustrated me at times due to my selfishness and immaturity. In this verse, however, You promise us that You will hear us in an acceptable time on the day of salvation and that the day of salvation is NOW! Thank You so much for this promise, Father. It aligns Your timing with my own selfish timing because the time is now, which is known to me. Knowing that my salvation is now and that You hear me now, relieves some of the weight of the unknown off my shoulders because I can understand, appreciate, and embrace the time of “now” far easier than when people say in “God’s timing.” Thank You for the clear promise that speaks directly to my heart, Father.
ATTITUDE (verse 12): Although You were speaking to Corinth with this verse, I feel You are also speaking directly to me; speaking loudly at that as it is very convicting. You tell Corinth that they are not limited by the Apostles or Disciples, but that they are limited by their own affections. I have walked in a limiting attitude of my heart for so long due to my own selfishness, selfish desires, and selfish affections. My personal compass has not always been pointed towards You and I am sorry for that, Father. Please continue Your work in me so that my heart’s affections become aligned with Your will for my life, so that I am no longer living this life in a self-limiting manner.
COMMAND (verse 1): Back to this verse as it is speaking rather loudly to me today. Not only is it my sin confession for today, but I also feel it is a very important and powerful command. You tell us to not receive Your grace in vain. This isn’t for Your benefit, but for our own. For example, if I were to win the lottery but I spent all of it on fancy/expensive food for myself and other selfish desires that are temporary, then I have spent it all in vain. It hasn’t truly benefited me in any way, because I have let it fall through my fingers instead of holding onto it dearly for true benefits. I should be spending those lottery winnings wisely on a home, paying off all of my debt, helping others where I can, and even investing it wisely for growth. You command us to be good stewards of what You have blessed us with and Your grace is one of those things. Help me to be a good steward of Your grace in this life, Father, so that I no longer receive it in vain as I have in the past.
EXAMPLE (verses 16-18): These last few verses are such a powerful example of how we are to live out our relationship with You. You are our Father and we are Your children. My earthly father was broken and not very great, so my sense and experience of a father in the earthly sense is construed and broken. You are the perfect Father, however, and I need to embrace that more than I have been. Your Fatherhood to me is perfect and gives me the Fatherly counsel, wisdom, love, and sometimes discipline that I needed as a child. Now that I am a child in my faith, I am appreciative to have the perfect Father teaching me as I mature. I may still be young in my faith journey, but I know that as I lean on You more, I will begin to mature into a spiritual adult. Thank You, Father, for being the perfect Father to me in more ways than I can imagine.
*DAILY NOTE: Today was an emotional quiet time. You gave me examples, You gave me conviction, and You showered me with Your grace and love. This is what a real and perfect Father does for their children. Thank You for such an amazing quiet time today, Father. Thank You for always providing me with a great conversation in our quiet times together, but also thank You for providing me with such a powerful example of what a Father should be. I have failed as a son to You, I have failed as a husband to my wife, I have failed as a father to my children, and I have failed at just being a many on so many levels and so frequently. I know that with You, restoration is possible as I have a new, born-again identity in Christ. Continue to mold me, prune me, and shape me, Father, so that I can be better in all of these topics for Your glory and Your kingdom.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
Comments