Utmost for His Highest June 26
II Corinthians 6: 1
KJV: We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
The Message Version: Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life of grace God has given us.
Understand now that the grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “…in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested (II Corinthians 6:4).
Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer.
“…in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors…” (2 Corinthians 6:5)— in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.
One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.
BOTTOM LINE:
“…having nothing….” Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. “…and yet possessing all things”— this is poverty triumphant (II Corinthians 6:10).
NEXT UP:
After extensively exploring grace in recent posts, this week looking forward, I’ve decided to use the next week plus to conclude Cloud’s book “Why I Believe.” My five loaner copies arrived yesterday, so if I wet your appetite to read it, first come-first served, to borrow a copy for a week before you buy, or not. This week I will present verbatim (no comments from me) from his last chapter, Psychology and Faith, therein containing Biblical wisdom for Christ-Followers if need be, to be retooled in order to thrive here forward. Indeed, purposeful reading!
I do realize a few of you may be tempted to pass or check out on this “endurance run (we will do it in short 5 minute segments), but Loretta & I have been so blessed by listening to this Psychology and Faith chapter repeatedly, I’d be remiss not to get you to reconsider and commit. In fact, I’m pretty sure your first read will insure you’ll buy the book. At, least that’s what I will tell the Worthy Publishing lawyers when & if they ever come calling….
So, as I see it, perhaps I’ll just be Worthy’s first blog post freebee book sales promoter! It’s simply my mission at this moment of my life that I or, actually anyone could do. As I prayerfully envision this, everyone involved or impacted will hopefully be blessed and elevated spiritually, while Worthy sells more wisdom books. FYI, page 117 – 121 titled “Do not sign it” details Cloud’s choosing to remain a free agent, a story you really need to hear before chapter 12.