My grace is suffiecient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9
Once I saw a vineyard. It did not look good. There were so many dried up and shriveled vines. Only some juicy grapes were hanging on the vine. They look marvelous! However, they were so few! Yet, the Lord showed me something between the leaves: New grapes grew there which still were little and soft. He said: I have great hope for them. If they remain in My sun and properly drink My juice, they will grow and be big and strong. For their sake I will not destroy the vineyard. I will not plow it for I have great hope in it!
The vines which open themselves for the sun rays and for the juice of the vine stocks, they will grow and thrive. But those which are afraid of the sun and prefer to stay in the shadow, they will wither away. God even need not to cut the shriveled grapes as they will fall by themselves and give room for new juicy vines.
Paul was a remarkable personality with a great career ahead of him, sharp in mind and tongue. All that he gave away when he had an encounter with Jesus. Yet his sharp mind and good ancestry seemed to tempt him to be arrogant and pride. Therefore obviously God did not take away the thorns in the flesh which knocked him with fists. So he remained dependent on the grace of God and withstood his self-will, arrogance, and pride. Like the grapes he had to be totally dependent on the vines stock to stay in the sun and to receive the juice. In this way he could boast of his weakness that the power of Christ was in him. Therefore in the name of Jesus he could endure powerlessness, mistreatments, hardships, persecution, fears, for when he was weak then He was strong in him.(see verses 7-10).
If we want to be real Christians we have to endure difficulties which should strengthen our faith and should hinder us to be pride and to stick to the doctrines only. We should live only by His grace being totally dependent on Him! We should expose ourselves to His light and drink the juice of the vine stock. Then on and on our ego gets smaller and His power and grace grow. We do not want to be like dry up vines who live in own strength and rely on dead doctrines. We want Jesus to live in us in power.
Thank you, Jesus, You are all for me! You are my sun, that warm me up. Your are the juice of life and power. You are the fertile soil that feeds me. You are the warm spring rain which makes me grow. Your grace is sufficient! Help me, to remain and live in Your grace and not to rely on others.
Bible reading today – 1 John 2: 3-17