Latest / The Daily Word / April 12 – Grace for What Remains
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, Lakeshore family, and welcome to today's Daily Word podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and my wife Yolanda and I have the privilege of serving as the campus pastors at our Gastonia location. Each day on this podcast, we take a few moments to reflect on what God is highlighting from our daily Bible reading. As a church family, we're intentional about creating space to meet with God through prayer, through the scripture, and by writing down what the Holy Spirit is speaking and how it connects to everyday life. We're reading through the Life Journal plan and today we're focusing on the New Testament passage from that plan. Now when I sit down with my time with the Lord, I keep it really simple, but I've got some essentials. I bring my Bible, my Life Journal, a pen for writing things down, and a highlighter because I like to mark the verses that God highlights. and speaks to me while I'm reading. I'll also use a couple of trusted study tools like Blue Letter Bible to explore original word meanings and cross references. And I like to use BibleRef.com for a clear verse by verse insight. Now these tools don't replace the scripture. They just help me gain more understanding and slow down and listen more carefully. We're also using the SOAP method, SOAP. Scripture. observation, application, and prayer. It's a practical way to engage God's Word and respond to what He's doing in our hearts. Now, before we read today's passage, let's take a moment to pray. Come on, engage with me. If you know it, say it. This is my Bible. It is God's Word written to me. I am who it says I am. I can do what it says I can do. I can have what it says I can have. So I receive it as truth for my life today and open my heart to hear God speak a word, reveal Jesus to me, fill me with the Holy Spirit, then send me out to share Christ with others so that my life will be changed forever. In Jesus name, amen. Now I happen to read today's reading from April 12th in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 and I journaled from verses 8 and 9. Let me read it to us out of the New King James. Paul says concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. Verse 9 and the Lord said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Paul picks up and he says, therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. The first thing that I want us to clue in on is this word grace. Most of us have heard this word by grace you've been saved through faith. It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast grace. That's a big word. in the Bible and in our relationship with the Lord. This word grace is the Greek word, charis. C-H-A-R-I-S. And at its core, charis or charis means favor, gift, or kindness freely given. But in this verse, it's important to note that it carries a much richer, deeper sense than just kindness or favor. This word grace actually means God's power at work in you. Let me say that again. God's power at work in you. That's why Jesus says to Paul, my strength or my power is made perfect in weakness. The apostle Paul is describing a thorn in the flesh, some ongoing hardship, physical, emotional or spiritual. We're not told exactly what, but he pleads with God three times to remove it. God does not take it away. Instead, God gives him something better, a new grace-filled perspective. The title of my journal entry is this, not removal, but provision. And that'll make sense as I share my observation. First, I see that God's answer to human weakness is not always removal, but provision. Paul the apostle pleads for relief, yet God responds with the promise, my grace is sufficient for you. This shows us that grace is not merely forgiveness, it is God's active, sustaining power in the middle of ongoing struggle. The sufficiency of grace means that even when circumstances remain unchanged, the believer is not lacking what is truly needed. God does not leave Paul unsupported. He supplies exactly what will uphold him in his weakness that he has to carry. We should also observe that weakness is not presented as a hindrance to God's work, but as the very context where his power is most fully displayed. Come on, somebody say amen. God's power is made perfect not in human strength, but in dependence. This completely reframes how we view limitation, suffering, and inadequacy. Instead of hiding weakness, Paul embraces it because it becomes the stage upon which Christ's power rests on his life. This text teaches us that the Christian life, and by extension, ministry, is not about projecting strength, but about living in humble reliance on God, where His power becomes visible precisely where we are most aware of our need. Come on, that's an insightful observation. Somebody say amen. Here's how it applies to my life. First, as a follower of Christ, I will intentionally lean in to remember that even when I am weak, suffering or going through a trial, God will provide what I need. First and foremost, His grace. His grace is power in action. Second, as a pastor, I must remember to lovingly encourage God's people to look to God in weakness, to look to God in trial and in suffering. We don't have to fake it or try to hide our weaknesses. God is always ready to supply. His grace-filled power to provide what we need to push through. Here's my prayer. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your word. Holy Spirit, help me to apply this truth so that I remember when I am weak, I am strong because of the grace of God. Help me reframe my perspective and actively press into God's grace when I am weak, facing trouble or suffering. I know that as I do this, His grace is sufficient, more than enough to provide exactly what I need. In Jesus' name, amen. Lakeshore family, as you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.