Day 341: II Cor 10:1 - 13:14

I think this passage is incredibly important for believers to read regularly in order to keep themselves in check. It's sad to say, but it seems like oftentimes Christians especially in the ministry tend to find lots of opportunities to brag and boast about who they are are what they've done for Christ. They make sure to let everyone know as often as possible that they not only know how to hear God's voice, but that they also possess the amazing skill of being able to follow His every command. Paul reminds us in these verses that compared to the Father and everything He's done for us, we have absolutely no reason to brag. Without God, we're absolutely useless and the sooner we can learn that, the sooner we can begin to truly appreciate the Father for Who He really is and not just for what He can do for us. Without God, our accomplishments and our accolades and our achievements mean absolutely nothing, but with God, there's no end to the things that we can accomplish.

- Lord, help me not to boast in myself or in the things that I've done. Help me to remember that there's nothing I could do that would ever compare to things that You have done and can do. You are the only thing that I can brag about and I vow to continually brag about You. -

Day 340: II Cor 5:1 - 9:15

After spending time in I Corinthians reading about Paul getting onto the Christians in Corinth, it's relieving to see in the second book that they actually did turn things around to live right. It's very easy to read the Bible and find yourself feeling like maybe there's nothing that you can actually do to actually get to the point where you're living in obedience to God's Word, but we can see in this passage that when we are in God, we are new creatures and we no longer have to live by the same old rules and find ourselves beaten down by the same old failures. Being eternally minded is a theme that Paul visits quite often in his writings and it's encouraging to see that this church in Corinth has finally grasped hold of the fact that if we will commit ourselves to being eternally minded, all of the seemingly small things in our lives that are keeping us from achieving what God wants will just crumble under our feet.

- Lord, help me to remember that all things are possible to those of us who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Help me to continue on with my focus not on what I've done wrong or how short I've fallen, but on what I can accomplish if I will trust in You. -