“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)
While we can debate Paul’s “weakness,” my sense is it had to do with his eyes and caused him issues throughout his ministry. But regardless of what it was, Paul, like so many of us, wrongly believed he could accomplish God’s will so much more effectively if he was healed of his affliction. Like Paul, many of us believe we could carry out God’s will so much better if everything in our life was perfect – perfect health, perfect finances, perfect circumstances. But Paul ultimately wisely discerned that God can work best through our less-than-optimal circumstances better than if everything was perfect.
We want to foresee the outcomes of our life, figure everything out, then tell God what to do about them, as if we know better than He does, seeming to forget He sees the beginning from the end more clearly than we see our present circumstances. Our complete trust needs to be in Him and His ability to guide, empower, and use us regardless of our outward circumstances.
I love how Ray Majoran describes it in his prayer: “Lord our Shepherd and Guide, every turn of the road reminds us that life unfolds under Your steady hand. Through each and every season, You remain faithful; Your mercy never leaves us.
We confess how easily our hearts forget. When the road grows narrow or steep, we complain instead of trust. When the view is wide and the colors bright, we often credit ourselves rather than thanking You. Yet You call us to gratitude not because everything is easy, but because You are near in all things.
Lord, thank You that Your will for us is not hidden; it is found plainly in Your Word. And in Your Word, you tell us to give thanks through every circumstance, trusting that Your grace is sufficient and Your wisdom sure (2 Corinthians 12:9). Shape us to be men and women who give thanks before the outcome is known.
By the power of Your Spirit, teach us to see Your fingerprints in both the smooth pavement and the sharp turns. Let gratitude become our compass, guiding us through seasons of abundance and of waiting. And when the journey ends, may our lives echo with the refrain of thanksgiving that began long before we reached home (Colossians 3:17).”
May we with gratitude and thanksgiving offer ourselves to the Lord for His service without reservation or complaint, not demanding to know every detail at the outset, but trusting with gratitude for the privilege of being chosen, warts and all. We rarely, if ever, know the outcome of anything to which the Lord calls us, but what we can know with certainty is that He is with us every step and the outcome is in His capable hands.
One thing that occurs to me is that we tend to want recognition and reward for our service, but often God’s plan is that our work for Him be done in secret and the reward be kept between us. In my mind, that’s part of the outcome. The only One I’m hoping to please is the Lord, so, I’m fine with no one but the Lord knowing how I do in my ventures for Him. Obedience is my department, outcomes are the Lord’s. I’m willing to trust Him to gain glory through the outcomes in any manner He would see fit. How about you?
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 