Grains of Sand

Reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13 “ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness ” (2 Corinthians 11:30, NIV). You have got to be kidding? Who does THAT? Current thinking says we must build ourselves up, bolster our self-esteem, look good, be strong, promote our pluses and downplay our minuses. Paul had different ideas. Why would anyone allow himself to be so vulnerable, especially someone so much in the public eye and so eager to show how “cool” the Gospel was? After all, people jump on bandwagons that make them feel good about themselves. As Paul continues his letter he tells his readers why boasting about weakness rather than exalting strengths is the right thing to do. Paul had a problem, the nature of which we are not told, though the general thought is that it was a physical problem of some kind. He asked God to heal him and after the third time God delivered a definite “no” as the answer to the apostle’s request. “…he said to me,” writes Paul in 2 ...

I love those curious little phrases in Scripture that pique my interest simply because they are unexpected. I found another one in my journey through the Book of Acts this morning. The context? Saul has been carrying his religious zeal a whole lot too far by persecuting the followers of Jesus Christ. On his way to Damascus in search of believers to throw into jail he has an encounter with the Lord which is recorded for us in Acts 9. Saul's not slow and he immediately recognizes who he is talking to and how huge his mistake has been. Blinded by the light of the Lord, he is led to Damascus. Instead of chasing down Christians, the seriously repentant Pharisee spends three days praying and fasting. In the Scriptures fasting is part of the act of repentance and without doubt Saul had a whole lot to repent of. While Saul and the Lord are dealing with the dirt, the Lord appeared to a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. He instructs Ananias to find Saul and restore his sight...