Manna for Your Morning

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! — 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NASB1995) Concerning this thorn, Paul says, three different times, he begged the Lord to take it away. And the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Paul adds: “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (See 2 Corinthians 12:8-9) What kinds of challenges may God be allowing in our lives to keep us from becoming prideful and arrogant? What prickly situation is calling for patience and perseverance? May we never think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Everything we have, and all of our talents and abilities, we have received from Elohim, our Creator. And He imparts His grace to empower us and give us strength in the midst of our struggles.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 MSG) In the midst of troubles and trials, admit your weakness and rely on the power of Christ to work through you. God already knows how to handle every challenge that confronts you, and He has not left your side. Amen.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! — 2 Corinthians 12:7 (MSG) At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, “ My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. ” Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 MSG)

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. — Hebrews 4:16 (MSG) As Believers in Christ, we have ready access to our heavenly Father. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. (Hebrews 4:16 AMP) Amen.

…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  — 2 Corinthians 12:7-9a (NKJV)   In the Message Bible the Apostle Paul said, “I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees.” May our limitations drive us to our knees and keep us from becoming proud. When we submit our lives to God, He will fill in the gaps where we fall short. When we can no longer deal with that difficult person or situation, His power and strength enables us to respond like our heavenly Father responds to us, with grace and lovingkindness. Don’t let the painful prick of the thorn distract you from the beauty of the rose, which is all the ...

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. — Isaiah 53:4-5 (NLT) In the court of law, a person cannot be tried for the same offense twice. Jesus paid the price for our sins. On the cross, our punishment was piled on Him. He paid the debt. Don’t let the lies of the enemy bind you up again. The shackles of sickness, shame, and guilt have no power over a child of God. Jesus is our righteousness. Live in holiness and freedom! Be whole and healed. Jesus interceded and intervened our our behalf to save forever those who come to God through Him. HE always LIVES to intercede and intervene on  our behalf (Hebrews 7:25 AMP)

... but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. — Daniel 11:32b (NKJV) If you want to know your God, focus on Christ. Make Him the center of your life and He will fill the other areas of your life. He is the firm foundation, and the Chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). He is our strength, in weakness. If you never admit you’re weak, you will never rely on His strength. His light pierces through the darkness and crumbles mountains. He is our joy, in sadness and grief. He is our peace, in times of trouble. He is our physician, in sickness. He is our truth, when lies and deception abound. He sets us free when the enemy binds us up. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! The sweetest name I know. He is our GPS when we don’t know which way to go. When we walk with Jesus, we have a constant Companion, an Advocate, a Comforter, a Healer, a Counselor and a faithful Friend. When we know Jesus, we know love. Know your God. Be strong! And carry out great exploits.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6 (NASB) When you need someone to talk to, call out to the Wonderful Counselor. He is intimately acquainted with all our ways. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. (Hebrews 4:15 MSG) In the midst of turmoil, call upon the Prince of Peace. Jesus said, “ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ” (John 14:27 NASB) When you are feeling weak and weary, call on Jesus, our Mighty God. He is the strength of our lives. God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven...

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! ( 2 Corinthians 12:7 MSG ). When circumstances try to pull you down, fall to your knees in prayer. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. ( 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 MSG ). May we always appreciate all the gifts (James 1:17) and focus on the Giver of the gifts. Now I take limita...

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) Jesus calls all who are weary and carry heavy burdens to come to Him and He will give them rest. (Matthew 11:28). Release your burdens to the LORD and He will sustain you. (Psalm 55:22). He beckons us to come to Him, because His grace is enough for us. He supplements our weaknesses with His strength. Wherever we fall short, His grace fills in the gaps. He illuminates the dark places with His life-giving light. He turns our sorrow & sadness into joy & gladness. In His Presence, we can let go of disappointments and discouragement and cling to the living hope we have in Christ.

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” — Exodus 3:14 (NKJV) When God called Moses, he replied, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Whatever God calls us to do, may we remember that it’s not about us, nor our shortcomings. It is all about the great and mighty God we serve. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP), He says, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” His grace enables us to do all that He has called us to do. The hand of the great “I AM” reaches beyond our limitations. Rely on the power of the God who dwells in you, as you go forth to perform His will.

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. — Psalm 9:10 (NKJV) We can put our trust in the LORD. He does not abandon those who seek Him. It is in the dark moments of our lives that the light of His glory shines the brightest. It is in our weakness that His power and strength are displayed. Keep your trust in God, and He will continually guide you along on the path of life. In Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) the LORD says, Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. God has your back.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NLT) The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, to keep him from becoming proud. Three different times he begged the Lord to take it away and each time, the Lord directed Paul’s attention back to Himself. (2 Corinthians 12:7-8) We all have some thorny things in our lives that continue to prick us and make us uncomfortable. They constantly call for our attention. Sometimes we pay too much attention to our weaknesses, those things that consistently challenge us. That will cost us our peace and our joy. Instead, let us remember what the Lord said, (His grace is all we need), and shift our focus to the Lord. Then, His power is able to work in us and through us, to bring about God's perfect will in our lives. His grace strengthens us to be and do all that we are called to be and do. His grace gives us what we need to live a successful and fulfilled life. In His grace, we r...

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment him and keep him from becoming proud (2 Corinthians 12:7). God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). When we admit we are poor, we can draw from the riches of His grace. When we admit our weaknesses to Him, His strength and power is available. When we surrender all and submit to God, He can do His best work in us and through us.

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. — Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG) Only because of Jesus, do we have 24-hour access to God. He destroyed the barrier that separated us from our Heavenly Father. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God (Hebrews 4:16a NLT). Take the mercy. Accept the help!

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You... — Psalm 84:5 (NKJV) We get tripped up when we think we can accomplish anything, purely in our own strength. Let the LORD be the strength of your life (Psalm 27:1). Draw from the well of His unlimited power and strength. Blessed is the person who strength is in the LORD. They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power] (Psalm 84:7 AMP). Rely on the LORD to turn those seemingly impossible situations around. “His strength is made perfect in our weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV). Our heavenly Father, did not expect us to do this on our own, He made His strength available to us. Amen!

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. — Hebrews 4:14-16 (The Message) Jesus is our compassionate High Priest. He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus is in touch with everything that we go through. He has restored us back into a right relationship with God, that of Father and son or daughter, and has given us access to His kingdom. Why try to do it on your own when you can accept the help we have in Christ Jesus?

 Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ. All of God lives in Christ’s body, and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority. — Colossians 2:8-10 (GW) We are complete in Christ. Our areas of weakness are perfected as we call upon the Lord's strength. If we were to lose everything, we would find that Christ is all we really need. The Message Bible sums it up well: You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him (Colossians 2:8).

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. Psalm 18:28-29 (NIV) God changes our darkness into light. He is a God of transformation. The LORD makes us strong in our weakness. He turns our mourning into gladness and gives us comfort and joy in place of sorrow. In Christ, He does away with the old and we become new creations. Those doomed to death receive eternal life. He heals the sick and gives direction to the lost. Praise God for the power of change.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJ) The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan tormented him and kept him from becoming proud. When Paul pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him, the Lord said, His is grace is sufficient. The strength of our Lord is made perfect in weakness. May we let His power work in us and through us. For when we are weak, then we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). The glorious grace of the Lord be with you!