Today's Devotional

 

October 2, 2007

                                                                                  

Subject:   The Pattern Of Life 

2 Corinthians 12:10 - "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 

---

I was talking to a friend yesterday about how my progress was coming along in the gym, given that I had the surgery this past summer and just got back into the gym about a month ago.  I remarked to my friend, "I think I'm set up perfectly for a Lance Armstrong comeback."  Lance Armstrong is the 5 or 6 time Tour De France-winning cyclist.  He accomplished all of his championships after being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing many cancer treatments.  That is what I call a comeback.

I thought about my statement after I said it and I realized that most of life is set up for us to make a comeback.  Almost any biblical character that I could think of was defeated in one way or another and had to make a comeback.  Whether it was by his or her own mistakes or completely outside of their control, they had to overcome setbacks and losses.  Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Jonah, Elijah, Joseph, Esther, Job, Peter, Paul and that doesn't even mention the greatest comeback of all time; Jesus Christ Himself.  All had to overcome.

Today we should realize that this is the pattern of life.  Why is it the pattern of life?  Because God wants us to see that He is the source of our strength and that victory comes through Him.  The sooner we understand this, the sooner we'll see all of our losses as opportunities to overcome.  When we are weak, then He is strong as the passage above says.

We indeed are set up for a comeback.  Not just a Lance Armstrong comeback, but a Jesus Christ comeback and not only did He come back He is coming back again for sure.  

Carlen