It's not about me !!!!

1 Corinthians 12: 1-10
I must go on boasting, Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations, from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows, was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


O how true it all finally seems, in the past posts, I have gone on and one about my pain, about some misfortunes that have entrapped my life as well as the lives of my wife and kids. To honestly look at it from a biblical perspective, well that is something different.

Folks, I must say that there is no doubt in my mind, or soul, or heart, or whatever you want to fill in the blank, but the doubt is finally away from me, I truly welcome the pain I have. I truly welcome the position that myself and my family are in right now. For it is all of God. Nothing comes to us that does not pass through His fingers first. It has taken me a while to let it all sink in through my very think skull. (my wife can a test to that) However, no where in the bible does it say that God wants everyone to be happy. That he wants everyone to be of great health. To be rich, or publicly successful. No where! Some of us He has a sickness laiden life planned. Some of us are here to be examples in some way to others. If we are happy, and rich, then what. I see now, forget all the riches, forget all the glory. They glory is His, and His alone.

I am reading several books now, one of them is one the Apostle Paul, in the most recent chapter, the author uses a story of an old saint.
(Like the old saint once prayed, " Lord, when will You cease to strew my path with trials and thorns?" The Lord answered, "My child, that is how I prove My friends." To which the suffering soul replied, "Lord, perhaps that's why You have so few of them.") We'd rather be skeptical then submissive.

I would love to see what Paul saw in his vision, or actually what my late grandmother sees now. O to see the wander of our Lord, with our own eyes. I do however take full advantage of the imagination that He granted us when He made us. The really cool things is however, that whatever we imagine, can't even compare to what it is really like to be personally in His presence. To see His splendor, His glory, His love beaming throughout all things.



So the conclusion I came to in my studies, is I am not to boast in myself. When we do things on our own, and take credit for it, it just allows us to grow away from Christ. For we do not accomplish anything on our own. I have seen far to many people, myself included, taking credit for something they couldn't have done without Jesus Christ, folks that is everything. Example; throughout this book I am reading, even though Paul is the main character, it really isn't about him. The story is really all about God. I get it now, I get it, now I shall go with it. I will fail, but the journey to my knees to ask forgiveness and start again is not that far. It is more humbling every time. For that and for all things I am grateful, and am in full debt.

Lord, Father, my God, I give You praise, for You alone are worthy of it all. For it is cause of You, we are able to draw breath, and perform all things throughout our days. No one has any riches that You have not allowed. You allow us all the things in our lives, You give us all that we have, and how often do we thank You for them. Commit them back to You. Lord, I commit all things to You, I welcome the pain, I welcome the ups and downs in my life. You alone I can lean on, You alone are all that is needed. I don't even want to think of life without You. We see all that is happening around us, evil on all sides, some even say that the end is near, the signs are all there, and that maybe so, however Father, You alone know of that time, on You alone I will wait, and pray, for it is in Your time, and therefore I will not panic, I will not falter, and I will speak of Your glory and Your grace, and Your majesty to all. I will not panic or run away from any conversations, or topics that need Your words on them. I ask for all the strength that You want to give to me, and for all the tests, You lay before me. For I am Your servant, Your child, and alone in You I lay my life, and my future.
In the Almighty name of Your son, our Lord, and Savior, I pray amen