March 25th,Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 12- 13

2 Cor 12

Permission.

Just as God permitted Satan to test Job and Peter, so He permitted Satan to attack Paul.

God wanted to keep Paul humble after his exciting visit to heaven.

In the loving will of God, suffering has a purpose that can be fulfilled in no other way.

Accept it, and it will become a heavenly blessing.

Fight it, and it will become a heavy burden.

Prayer.

Like our Lord in Gethsemane, Paul prayed three times for God to deliver him.

But the Lord did not answer that prayer as Paul wanted.

However God did meet the need and gave His servant the grace he required.

Paul did not simply make the best of it.

No, he made the most of it!

And grace – God's empowering presence can do that for you as well.

Perplexity.

Paul was more concerned about the sins of the saints than about his own physical problems.

Like a loving father, he wanted to go to Corinth and enjoy his dear children.

But they were forcing him to discipline them.

Yet even discipline is an evidence of love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, 'We must form our estimate of men less from their achievements and failures, and more from their sufferings.'

2 Cor 13

As Paul planned his trip to Corinth, envision the different kinds of people he would meet there.

The disobedient – that is one group.

Why would God's people wanted to disobey Him and create problems for Paul and grief for the Lord, not to speak of problems for their church?

Disobedient children must be dealt with.

And Paul intended to be a faithful and loving father.

Another group was the disqualified.

Some church members have never been born again.

And that is why they create problems.

Paul urges us to examine our hearts to be sure we're in the faith.

And the other group was the devoted.

These are the true believers – the true brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The 'set apart ones', the saints, the people who love one another and promote the peace and purity of the church.

They are the mature ones in the fellowship who encourage spiritual growth.

To which of these 3 groups do you belong?