RESTING ON GOD

Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power. 1 Corinthians 2:5

Paul was older and endured malicious accusations, harsh beatings, endless interrogations, chains of imprisonment, ridicules, and threats. He found himself kidnapped, shipwrecked, and even suffered a bite from a snake. Yes, Paul was older and physically tired. Yet, through all of his suffering, he spoke as a man with power.

When our energy reserve wanes through life's difficulties, do we show that same kind of endurance, or is our modus operandi defeatism? There have been times in my life where I have given into wallowing in self-pity. I prevailed under a cloud disappointment and despair, especially during times of extreme physical exhaustion. God is merciful. He asks, "Why are you so downcast? Put your hope in Me." And out again, he pulls me into the light of His healing power, giving me the strength to move forward and continue with the task at hand. 

Our faith is like that. At times we are on fire, and our hope is reliable, but at other times, we wonder if God is still in control. We may not display the courage that Paul had, but Paul would be the first to tell us that all glory belongs to Christ, even in pain and suffering. He would also tell us that our faith does not rest on human wisdom, but instead, hope rests in the power of Christ's resurrection. Paul may have experienced times of fatigue, but his spiritual strength renewed each day. 

The Bible does not tell us what happened to Paul, but most likely, he had a tortuous death due to his faith message. We don't know where or how far our problems will take us; they may even take us to the brink of death. God never promised us a fairy tale ending to our earthly challenges, but God's power will indeed bolster our faith, and heaven is our promised reward. It's all because of Christ's resurrection. We can rest in His worth instead of our lacking wisdom, and this is how and why we can glorify God in all things.

Father, I give you all the glory because only you can bring me strength. Through Christ I pray, Amen.