trusting God

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.

Proverbs 3:5-8; NRSVue

A mentor and good friend, my senior in more ways than one often tells me something like, “Trust God,” although the way he expresses it seems better than just that. The words you hope go deep down into your soul, your very being, and change you, a likely gradual change with many fits and starts, steps forward and a step or two back. It seems to us as humans that life is up to us. We either make it work or not, do the right thing or fail to do it. But the wisdom of Proverbs has a different take on this.

First, the necessity of a wholehearted, unreserved trust in God. Well, what are we going to get perfect in this life (or I wonder myself, in any life, for that matter)? We should never look for some kind of perfection in trying to “trust and obey.” It should be a commitment. Something like, “God, I really don’t get this well. It doesn’t jive with my experience. But I’m committed to it, entirely so, as much as I know how, only through your grace and help.” Something like that.

The next word is just as important, because when push comes to shove, we just naturally go to our default. We’re not to lean or rely on our own insight. It seems like some serious unlearning is likely in play here for most of us. I will grant exceptions, like in the case of my wife, who has the most wonderful, childlike (not childish) faith in God. For whatever reasons, although I think I’ve made significant progress, I still struggle in my faith. I like to understand just how things work and lacking that, I find it hard to trust. It seems to me that I have to accept that there’s something of mystery, mysticism, just not being able to grasp exactly all that is at play here, God’s ways, so that I have to trust both the process and outcome that is in God’s hands, and that, in spite of the inevitable mistakes I’ll make along the way.

Next is the word that we’re to, in my words, look to God in all of our circumstances, with the promise that God will make straight our paths. The NET footnote (verse 6) is helpful here. I think the NIV and NLT are also helpful here.

in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:6; NIV

Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:6; NLT

Acknowledging God means to depend on, trust in, and be obedient/submissive to. I like the idea in the NLT of seeking God’s will in all we do, but I admit, I’m a bit skeptical of the rendering suggesting that God will show us which path to take. Maybe that is the case in the sense that as we apply wisdom, we can make a good, reasonable decision at that moment in time, the process not free from trial and error, and never infallible. And as it says elsewhere in Proverbs (11:14; 15:22), not apart from the wise counsel of others. At the very least, God will honor our full commitment to trust and obey God, insofar as we understand that.

The final word here is to not be wise in our own eyes, but to fear God and turn away from evil, with the promise that as we do so, we will be refreshed in body and spirit. I do experience something of this, even if not as much as I should, due to my all too often weak faith. No matter what hangs over my head, or what lies ahead, I can find something of God’s rest.

As my brother, friend and mentor keeps reminding me, “Trust God.” Yes, it may seem trite, something many of us have heard in some form or another since our childhood days in Sunday School. But it can make a world of difference, the difference we definitely need.

helping others and each other through prayer

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For

there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all

—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7; NRSVue

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Ephesians 6:18-20; NRSVue

It is noteworthy when looking through Scripture, the difference prayer makes. “Thoughts and prayers” are not enough by themselves, but that is where people of faith need to start. And those without faith, calling on the name of the Lord to enter into the salvation that is theirs in Jesus.

Simply pray and pray simply. No ornamentation required or desired, though if that is natural or comes, of course that’s fine, either way a gift from God. From the heart. Sometimes muddling through as something we do no matter what our inner experience is.

I have been woefully bad at not keeping people in governing positions in prayer. That is definitely something I want to change. As for the rest, I’ve tried to stay faithful in that, hopefully expanding in scope as well as Spirit-helped prayers. But again, I can’t emphasize this enough: we just keep doing it as something we do in all our weakness, stumbling, and lostness in how to do it.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27; NRSVue

And we do this not stopping, myself while being just as simply in Scripture, as well. God’s help to others through that, as well as to us when others pray for us.

despair and death first

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; NRSVue

On Good Friday we remember the suffering and death of Jesus. I notice the tendency in others and myself as well to want to skip to Easter, to downplay the death itself in favor of the resurrection. Death is nothing more than the means to the end of resurrection. Yes, death is great in that it’s the gateway to resurrection, but since we are now a resurrection people, we no longer need to think about death since in Christ, death is swallowed up in life by Christ’s resurrection.

That does neither justice to the narratives in the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) nor in what follows in the New Testament. We are followers of the Lamb, partaking simultaneously of Christ’s death and resurrection in this life. Unlike Jesus, we are not yet in our resurrection bodies. And yet Jesus still suffers with us by the Spirit. In fact, we are now his body on earth.

Because of that, even though still in “the days of our humiliation” in that we can suffer and die, yet we are also living a new life through Jesus during which we are to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive the help we need from the one who has lived through the same experiences. As we receive, we also give, able to empathize with those who experience the same struggles we ourselves go through, or who struggle like us, whatever those struggles may be. Jesus’s help with us.

the default of “the thorn in the flesh”

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10; NRSVue

To know the power of Christ in his life, Paul had to live in weakness. That is clearly a paradox, but as we see from this section of the letter (2 Corinthians 10-13) that is both the way of and reality in Christ. Anything else will come up short of Christ’s power living (dwelling) in us. It is certainly a way, again, of existential weakness, experiencing such. The way of the cross is surely not in the way of human strength and power when one considers that it was an instrument of torture and death. But only in the way of the cross, the way of weakness can the Lord’s power be made perfect, can the power of Christ dwell in us.

This is not a comfortable place to live. Sometimes it seems especially acute in its darkness and heaviness. After all, how did Paul describe it? “…a messenger of Satan to torment me…” And why? “to keep me from being too elated.” Elated as in being happy and exultant and therefore “conceited” (CEB) (ὑπεραίρω) over the revelations he had received in the third heaven. I think most any of us, or I can speak for myself, would need a strong check for what little we’ve experienced and think we know. Pride will plague us, unless we’re plainly “under it.” Paul suffered and this seems to have been obvious to those around him. The Corinthian believers seemed to glory in the “super-apostles” who seemed to have it all together and were riding high. Paul to them was weak, probably nothing in comparison. They were lacking in discernment, to say the least. The super-apostles saw themselves as simply something! Paul saw himself as nothing (12:11).

This is the default in which we’re to live. Accepting whatever “thorn in the flesh” we might have and learning to embrace weakness. Not an easy place to live, but God’s grace is enough so that Christ’s power might dwell in us. The paradox continuing: in our weakness, Christ’s power made known.

the fight we’re in (and not in)

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!— I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as humans but do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6

This is the beginning of one of my favorite parts of Scripture, 2 Corinthians 10-13. Some scholars have seen it almost as an addition or like a separate book from what precedes it. 2 Corinthians is one of my favorite books or letters of Scripture. I like what other scholars argue, that 10-13 actually goes well with the rest.

It’s really hard to transport a passage written in a different time with frankly a different ethic among Christians. Back then it would easily mean something quite different than what it seems to mean in too many quarters today. Just go to media and look at the pictures and rhetoric. Violence, violence, violence, and I’m not only referring to the destructive words, but at least symbols of action. “God and guns” are often paired together. Because of that, when we go to Paul, it’s hard to imagine that he’s much different. But in reality, he was entirely different, his gospel and teaching with the other letters of the New Testament, rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus as set forth in the four gospel accounts.

Even so, Paul’s words here do seem quite heavy handed. It was a different culture, the gospel breaking through but not yet changing a patriarchal culture, a difficult task any place and time. Just the same it was NOT cultic mind control, nor was it control of any kind. There’s a voluntariness beginning in the commitment of baptism which is basic to faith in and the following of Jesus, certainly such in community so that there’s an accountability each one to the other, the leaders having special responsibility in that.

Paul was about persuasion, clearly evident in his letters and in Acts. He used good sense (see Philemon), but he was not into psychological manipulation of others. He spoke the truth unvarnished and plainly, both in weakness and in love. It was the Spirit which made the difference through the message spoken and lived out of Christ crucified.

Instead, what we’re seeing today and for some decades now, and probably off and mostly on in history is Christians engaging in the methods and machinations of the world. Political power and control, what ends up amounting to political idolatry. What is baffling is how the Christians who talk the most about demonic possession and discerning that are the ones who are among those most caught up in what is quite the opposite of Paul. They and others follow a long line of sad examples dating back to the time of Constantine. But the church fathers who preceded that drawing from Jesus and the rest of the New Testament are quite the opposite.

Prayer. Scripture, the Word, the heart of that: the gospel. Community in Jesus, of learners, doubters, and followers together in the love of Christ which is never coercive. A grace which gives us space and enables and helps us to choose what is good, to love all others in the way of Christ. That was what Paul and those with him, the apostolic band were all about. Yes, humble participation in politics for the good of everyone especially on the local level, along with state and national, etc., surely included.

It’s necessary to say what they weren’t about. It definitely wasn’t physical coercion, following certain “super” charismatic leaders which we see Paul in confrontation with in 2 Corinthians 10-13. It’s not about some heavy handed top-down authority imposed on everyone. It’s not about thinking anyone human is so wonderful or great. All stuff Paul was encountering. No, none of that. And we could add more of what it is and isn’t.

That’s what we as Christ-followers in community and individually have to hone in on, give ourselves to. Realizing that there will be real world consequences in doing so, meaning we’ll have to walk carefully in wisdom. Our goal and passion, to be centered in Christ, to see that Christ-life growing and maturing among ourselves, and from that in good works of love often in collaboration with others in the world.

heavenly “warfare”

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!— I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as humans but do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6; NRSVue

There is afoot today a movement which emphasizes spiritual warfare, in their case seeing demons virtually everywhere, especially in their political opponents. With that is the idea of a takeover of the US and eventually the world, all in the name of Jesus. Alongside of them are those who are more than willing to use violence, in fact seem primed and pumped for that. Preceding this for decades now has been media spewing out hateful, demeaning words against political opponents with many a Christian listening for hours most every day. The tongue can be a fire straight from the pit of hell (James 3) and we’re seeing something of the result now. Violence begets violence, even from words to actions. But is that the way of Jesus?

One of my favorite sections of Scripture is 2 Corinthians 10-13 in which Paul defends his ministry against so-called super apostles who looked down on Paul for whatever reasons. As if it was a grandiose spectacular human enterprise, even some power trip rather than of Christ. Paul in this section points out to these immature Christians that Christlikeness is always in the way of the cross, God’s power coming in and through human weakness. That Christ himself exemplified this necessary weakness in the way of the cross, and that we too are weak in him as we follow on in that way of Christ.

I often have written on this blog about spiritual warfare, because to me it is an inescapable reality as we see in Scripture and from experience. But I am becoming aware that “spiritual warfare” is one of the numerous “triggers” which seems to muddy or even all but bury the gospel, God’s good news in Jesus. Like so many things, I want to retain the language because I find it steeped in Scripture, but with needed correction hopefully through clarification.

Paul makes it clear in this letter that as an apostle in the apostolic, missional work of the gospel to which he was called, he along with others fight and are in a spiritual battle (note also Ephesians 6:10-20). And he purposefully states that it is not human weapons, but weapons from God. Human weapons imply physical violence. Weapons from God implies something going on in the spiritual, even psychological dimension to bring about change. And in Paul’s case, it is both by word and deed, by the proclamation of the gospel and living according to that gospel.

I am largely at a loss to know how Paul’s words quoted above apply to us now. I certainly would never pretend to be a part of taking captive anyone’s thinking. But I will say this. We all need help, that our thoughts and from that, our actions would be in captivity only to Christ in accordance with the good news in Christ. Often and especially at certain times, we can be all but lost in something else which might even seem good to us at the time (angry words? justifying or excusing physical violence? etc.) or sometimes anything but good in our experience.

What do we need? Always and forever the true apostolic message about Christ, and the Spirit to back that up not only in the words spoken, but the lives lived. Christ is victorious, but that victory has nothing to do with the standards of the world, what the world considers victory. Completely different. Not that easy to wrap our heads around and even harder to settle ourselves into, but an inescapable part of our calling in Christ.

ending the year on a personal note: accepting and embracing weakness

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10; NRSVue

Have you ever been in a situation in which you prayed even if in stress and weakness but did what you could to be prepared for whatever, but it seems like when you get there, you’re all alone and certain weaknesses come through. I’m not talking about blatant wrongdoing or excusing sin. We would compare ourselves to those times when God’s grace and presence seems so evident, and we’re lifted up to live well beyond what we could, left alone. Compare that to the times when we’re bumbling along, all but lost, not sure what to say, maybe saying something we wished we hadn’t said out of anxiety, whatever might be the case.

I think we need to learn to accept and embrace that latter experience, as well. When it’s all said and done, when we look back, since we are committed to Christ we’ll sense or see that God was in it. And what if people see us as always on top of things, never struggling? What if after being with us they’re impressed with us? Is that helpful? They should come to be instructed and encouraged by the example of our faith. But we need to learn to live that faith in weakness, in the midst of our weaknesses. With the promise that Christ’s power will dwell in us.

the good malady from spiritual warfare

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10; NRSVue

It’s not easy for us to see any good in weakness and especially any good at all in what amounts to spiritual assault. We would rather be ever triumphant, feeling on top of things, even on top of the world. But it’s not meant to be.

Paul is the exemplar for us in that. He was given much, and he knew it. But so that it wouldn’t go to his head, God sent a messenger of Satan. God sent it. Yes, a messenger of Satan. Even though we don’t take the entire Bible literally we do take the entire Bible seriously. And I take it here to mean no less than the dark force which can swallow us and take us under.

What good can come out of that? Actually, a lot. Who of us in this present existence isn’t more than challenged by this or that or something else? Maybe a steady dripping of many things. While some may be constituted to take a lot of things like water off a duck’s back, for others of us, it can take over the mind and penetrate the heart in fear and numbness.

We do well to go to the classic spiritual warfare passage, Ephesians 6:10-20. And we always should keep this 2 Corinthians passage in mind as well. Along with all of Scripture. For me, this 2 Corinthians 12 passage is an ace. When all else fails, and that will seem to be the case at times, this word remains. And by the way, it is not wrong at all for us to appeal to, even plead with God to remove the thorn in the flesh, whatever that might be, just like Paul did. But when it’s all said and done, we need to trust the Lord and the Lord’s word to us:

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.

And then go on, not in our strength or power, but in Christ’s. Yes, in our weaknesses.

making progress

While I was still young, before I went on my travels,
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
Before the temple I asked for her,
and I will search for her until the end.

From the first blossom to the ripening grape,
my heart delighted in her;
my foot walked on the straight path;
from my youth I followed her steps.

I inclined my ear a little and received her,
and I found for myself much instruction.
I made progress in her;
to him who gives wisdom I will give glory.

Sirach 51:13-17; NRSVue

I’m personally not a fan of self-help or self-improvement programs or books, even though there surely can be good gained from such. While I don’t doubt that I also firmly believe that as followers of Christ we need to be thoroughly grounded in the biblical text, God’s Word. And I include this passage from the Deuterocanonical, Apocryphal book, Sirach as an encouragement from God to look for improvement in specific areas of life in which we’re lacking or not doing well.

You can fill in the blank for yourself. But for me, since getting on a normal schedule again, I’ve come to see that I’m indeed a morning person, bright eyed (for me) and open and more or less ready for a new day. But by the time evening rolls around into the night, I’ve not only lost that edge, but am susceptible to thoughts and practices which are not helpful. For me, this resides completely in the area of cares and concerns which morph into anxiety. The good thing about that is that I can hit the pillow, my head under the covers, and usually soon fall asleep to awake later into a new day in which the slate feels more or less clean.

We all have weaknesses, some of which we have to live with. Propensities can go along with weaknesses, which we might indeed have to guard against. Formulas in a one size that fits all are most often not helpful. But when I know that something sets me off in a way that is not helpful to myself and my life of faith, then I do well to avoid it. And when one finds something helpful, it is good to put that into practice. Something of the wisdom in the poem written in Sirach.

I have long appreciated the idea of a kind of monastic existence and there are married orders. I love the idea of getting up early to chant psalms, sing songs, read Scripture. In our newish hymnal, Voices Together, there are both morning and evening prayers as in offices with two hymns/songs to be read/sung each time, which I greatly appreciate and do day after day. That is of course helpful, and actually morphs into my daily existence as far as the list of prayers are concerned. But some sort of practice like that to help keep one grounded is surely commendable.

I think a part of wisdom for me in my own problem is to accept that I am a certain way in the morning and not the same into the night. Perhaps that might mean learning a different routine. For me, this never would mean dispensing of evening prayer, even if I go through it with yawns and some struggle and maybe even more or less hasten through it. But it might mean any number of things, and definitely an openness to learning wisdom in the process as in handling it better so that my experience of faith is still present at night. One of the things we have to guard against is the idea that our faith is only as good as our experience. I consider all the Psalms faith-filled, and they definitely can be dark in experience (Psalm 88, etc.). So even when we are struggling, we shouldn’t feel like all is lost and that our faith is null and void.

But I would like to see some progress in my navigating of my day. Hopefully I’ll be learning wisdom along the way from Scripture for life. Not so much prescriptions for this or that ill or trouble, but much more like a better grounding in the will of God, in what God is doing and how I’m to be involved in that along with others. Wisdom for all of life present for us, God desiring to teach and help us in our lives.

in the difficult places

Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Luke 5:1-11; NRSVue

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Luke 5:8; NRSVue

There are those times that seem especially difficult, when we seem up against it, unfit and barely able to do what we’re committed and willing to do. And as one Bible teacher I know said, struggle is the default in which we live. I like those times when I feel primed and ready to go. It is interesting though, how such instances have fallen flat, not all the time, but sometimes. That might have been because I was not sufficiently depending and even cast on God.

In the episode recounted in the above passage, Peter felt full of self-doubt and a sense unworthiness, well aware of his own weaknesses and sin. But even though Peter was not aware of it at the time, that put him in a good position for God’s blessing. If we’re full of ourselves, and think everything is okay, God might let some of that go, but not for long. The only way we’ll grow and actually be able to respond to God’s call is if we acknowledge our sin and weakness to God. The Lord meets us in those places.

An encouragement to me, since I often find myself there.