Thought for the day...

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I can understand that, it's hard to have patience when we are down or hurting. We as humans try to do all things in our time and strength. I have seen several events in my life where GOD'S TIMING was impeccable. Just have to trust and believe.

 

There is physical weakness as you mention. We all need physical healing from time to time, but instead this is as much about spiritual weakness. We are born into fallenness, but we must admit (boast) that we are fallen (weak) to receive Spiritual healing.

 

Yes, if someone could explain, please.

 

Admit and boast, not close to the same thing. Fallen and weak, not close to the same thing. I'm all for irony, but there's not much of it in the good book.

If you stretch anything too thin, it either tears, or can be seen through.

Appreciate the effort, though!

 

I think it could also have to do with pride, alot of times when we are physically strong, we won't admit we need help, I'm not the man I used to be, and sometimes I think I can still do what I used to. Again pride has caused me to have sore places that I could have avoided. Another way to look at it, if we are so strong, we won't be able to let GOD work..

 

Sometimes we have to read different versions to find the answer. Paul is difficult to understand sometimes. May the Spirit reveal this mystery to us.

 

I enjoy a good mystery. Many things worthwhile are difficult.

I think this is something worthwhile to think about, to try to understand.

I am happy to admit (boast?), that there are things beyond my understanding (weakness?).

The end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade might be instructive here: Immortality was not the goal. It was, illumination.

 

Here is another type of weeklong devotional about dealing with stress. I will share this one...please let me know if y'all would like to see the rest of the series...thanks.

How to Handle Stress Like Jesus

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 6, 2018

1.6K


“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 NIV).


Have you ever felt like you had the “weight of the world” on you?


Your responsibilities outnumber the hours in your day. Your paycheck won’t stretch to cover all of your bills. Everyone in your life wants a little piece of you—and you have nothing left to give anyone.

You’re not alone.

The truth is, only one person has ever had “the weight of the world on his shoulders.” It’s exactly what Jesus came to do: to carry the weight of the world.

The Bible says of Jesus, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 NIV).

Nobody carried greater stress in life than Jesus. He not only carried the sin of the world on him while on the cross, but he also faced constant demands on him during his life. People frequently wanted to see him and be healed by him. He had no privacy. Other people tried to trap him and they sought to kill him.

But Jesus knew how to handle the stress. He had an incredibly attractive balance to his life. He handled pressure with peace.

That’s what I want to be like. I’m guessing you want the same.

As I’ve studied the Bible, I’ve noticed seven secrets of stress management that Jesus consistently demonstrates.

1. Identification: Jesus knew who he was.
2. Motivation: Jesus knew what he was living for.
3. Vocation: Jesus understood his calling.
4. Concentration: Jesus knew what mattered most.
5. Meditation: Jesus listened to God.
6. Collaboration: Jesus had a small group.
7. Recreation: Jesus took time to recharge.

I believe these seven characteristics can define our lives as well. Over the next seven days, we’ll look at each of these characteristics and how we can incorporate them into our lives.

If you make these characteristics a part of your life, your stress level will go down. So don’t miss these devotionals!

 

The best thing I've found on understanding a verse better is to not focus on a particular verse itself. Always get the context of what's going on around that verse, this has always helped tremendously for me. Read all of 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and that verse makes alot more sense.

 

Managing Stress Like Jesus: Know Who You Are

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 7, 2018

1.2K


“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’”(John 14:6 CSB).


If you don’t know who you are, you’ll find all sorts of people who are more than happy to tell you.


Our culture will try to mold you into a certain image. Your parents will try to turn you into what they think you should be. Your friends, your spouse, and your co-workers will all have their ideas, too.

Not knowing who you are—and letting everyone else mold you into their image—is a leading cause of stress for people today.

Jesus gives us another model. He shows us the principle of identification, which is the first principle of stress management from the life of Jesus.

Jesus had no doubt as to his identity. In fact, he defines himself with “I am” statements 18 times in the Bible. He does this every time he says “I am . . .” and then declares key truths.

Jesus says: “I am the truth. I am the way. I am the life. I am the Son of God. I am sent from my Father above. I am the door. I am the bread of life. I am the living water.”

Jesus knew exactly who he was.

And we need to know exactly who we are, who God created us to be.

If you don’t know your identity, you’ll depend too much on what other people say about you.

Stress happens when you try to be something you’re not. We all start off as originals, but too often we end up as carbon copies of somebody else—because we don’t know who we are.

When you learn who you are, you’re less dependent upon the approval of others and you’re more stress-resistant.

In John 14:6, we read this: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (CSB). Jesus didn’t need anyone else’s opinions to prop him up. Neither do you

 

Key to Managing Stress: Whose Approval Are You Living For?

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 8, 2018

1.1K


“I am not trying to do what I want, but only what [my Father] who sent me wants” (John 5:30 GNT).


You can’t please everyone. It’s one of the great truths of life. If you haven’t learned it yet, you’ll struggle with stress for the rest of your life.


If you please group A, group B will be upset at you. And if you please group B, you’ll upset group A. One minute you’re a hero; the next minute you’re a zero.

Even God can’t please everyone. Think of all the sporting events where people on both sides pray for a win. Only one team can win the game. One person prays for rain. Another prays for snow. Only one gets their prayer answered.

If God can’t please every person, it’s foolish for us to try.

If you don’t know whose approval you’re living for, stress will always follow you.

Jesus models this for us. I’ve been sharing with you Jesus’ seven principles of handling stress. Yesterday, I discussed the Principle of Identification.

Next is the Principle of Motivation. You must know what (and more importantly, whose approval), you’re living for.

Jesus showed us this in John 5:30 when he said: “I am not trying to do what I want, but only what [my Father] who sent me wants” (GNT).

Jesus wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest. He lived for an audience of one. He had a simple life in many ways. He just did what God put him on Earth to do.

Jesus never let approval or rejection of others control him. It’s part of the reason he lived without stress.

In fact, Jesus reminds us in Luke 16:13, “No one can serve two masters” (NLT). You can’t live for the approval of others and live for God’s approval at the same time.

Whose approval are you living for?

 

By Rev Billy Graham...

Cure Discouragement
Discouragement is nothing new. Many of the great Bible characters became discouraged. Moses in the Sinai desert; Elijah when he heard Jezebel was searching for him to take his life; and David when his son Absalom rebelled against him. It is as old as the history of man.

There is often a cause for discouragement. It comes many times when we don’t get our way, when things don’t work out the way we want them to. Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan’s device to thwart the work of God in your life. Discouragement blinds our eyes to the mercy of God and makes us perceive only the unfavorable circumstances.

I have never met anyone who spent time in daily prayer, and in the study of the Word of God, and was strong in faith, who was ever discouraged for very long.

Daily Prayer
Lord, when I am discouraged, take away the blindness of my wavering faith. You are with me always. Forgive my ungrateful heart.

 

I wonder if it means you can be happy you are weak, because God has the strength we need?

 

Your struggle is completely understandable friend.

 

I am in my tree stand looking at this so just thinking back but I do believe that weakness verse is because of Paul had a a thorn in the flesh. Bible never tells us what that weakness was he had but he had ask God to heal him from it but God would not and told him that he should trust in God's power vs his own. I have always felt the lesson there was don't rely on your own strength but trust in His. Aside from that I have 25 turkeys passing my stand.....dang birds.