Sometimes our vision fails us. We look at the muck and mire of our own lives, the shambles that lie at our feet, and wonder aloud how God could do anything with us. We are a mess, and we know God knows it. Yet, over and over in His Word, He promises to use us for His glory. At times, it is difficult for us to see beyond ourselves. We see what we are, whereas God sees what we can become. However, all our striving, determination, and energy will not complete the transformation process. It is through God’s grace alone that we become what He has envisioned for us to be all along. Paul had many trials and tribulations while delivering the Gospel message to his world. He even had a constant nagging affliction of some sort. While many scholars have speculated as to the source of this affliction, Paul never says what it is. He does not want us to miss what is most important about our moments of weakness. Paul writes, “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” (2 Corinthians 12:10). From the thorns in our lives, God brings forth roses. When we are hanging by a thread at the end of our rope, God gives us the grace to hang on—He gives us the grace to scurry to the top of the rope. He does not want us to just make it; rather, His desire is to see us succeed by finding our strength in Him. It certainly takes time and maturity to—like Paul—praise and thank God for our weaknesses. Yet, when we are willing to humble ourselves before God, He will exalt us (see James 4:10). In the midst of the trials you may be facing today, cry out to the Lord. And though it may be difficult, thank Him for what He will accomplish through your weaknesses. You may be surprised by the result! Prayer: Lord, as I face difficulty in my life, give me the strength to continue by Your grace. I know You will accomplish Your will for my life even through my weaknesses as I trust in You.  I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

We all can remember our school days when we were faced with exams. We spent all day in school—and still we panicked when it came to test time. Of course, we know that these exams and tests were for our benefit. They measured our growth, highlighted our strengths and weaknesses, and guided us toward the future. We face tests and exams on a spiritual level, too—but these tests are indicators of our eternal future. We must examine ourselves with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and always be ready to be tested. Throughout 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote what God taught him that gave him power to live positively in Christ in the midst of fear, trepidation, imprisonment, and flogging. In his conclusion to this letter, he says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Corinthians of old fell into the trap that some of our modern educators have fallen into today. If students are not keeping up and succeeding in school, some believe that the standards must be too high—so they lower the standards. Worse than the education system is evidence that this is happening in the churches of Jesus Christ, too. People don’t want to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven and eternal life. Some churches are saying, Let’s water down the Truth and not talk about the crucifixion or the resurrection. We don’t want to offend people—they are the most important part of the church. Instead, we’ll talk about relationships and good communication. The apostle Paul would tell us that this type of compromise leads only to frustration and disappointment. He is telling us that to have the peace and assurance of our salvation, we must believe the Word of God. Prayer: God, help me to see where I have lowered standards in my own life. Forgive me for compromising and grant me steadfast faith for Your glory and my good. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Have you ever wondered how Moses handled discouragement? Or how Paul maintained a positive attitude when he faced the criticism and threats of others? Surely Paul fought with discouragement when he faced the threat of death. However, he kept his focus set on Christ, his source of infinite strength and eternal hope. We can do the same. Life may have many challenges—especially when you are doing what God has given you to do and the world and the devil rise up to hinder you. But you don’t have to be overwhelmed by disappointment. We should long to be heroes of the faith—people who seek to win the race set before us and to achieve the goal that God has given. When trouble comes, don’t give up. Don’t lose heart, and don’t listen to harassment. God has a plan for your life. When you feel like quitting, think about Paul’s life and all he did for the Lord. He was not called to be famous or to have a vast sum of money. He was called by God to preach His Word to the lost. Paul did exactly what he was called to do. He obeyed God and surrendered his life to Christ. He went from being a man of position in the Jewish faith to an outcast and traitor. What may have appeared to be failure from a human standpoint was actually the mark of true victory. God does not ask you to cross a finish line with the goal of reaching worldly success. He does not hand out trophies that look good in a case or sitting on a shelf. Our reward is eternal and kept in heaven for us—the crown of life promised to those who love the Lord, who delight in Him and delight to follow and obey Him (see James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:4; John 14:15, 21, 23). Forsaking all else because Christ alone is worthy, will you follow Jesus and proclaim His love and forgiveness to a dying world? Prayer: Father, help me look to You—my utmost treasure—when I am facing discouragement and disappointment. You are my very great reward, and I know I have nothing to fear because You have overcome the world. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Our society tells us that the key to success is to acquire as much as we can—money, possessions, assets, friends, promotions. But this is the opposite of God’s formula for success: giving our all. When we fully comprehend the price of our salvation, we want to give back to God out of gratitude and thanksgiving. When we fully realize the mercies of God, we want to worship Him with our every breath. God’s love and sacrifice for us should motivate us to love and to sacrifice ourselves in return. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Paul relied upon two mind-boggling facts to lift him up in tough times and fuel him for God’s Great Commission. First, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, left heaven to die on a cross for the forgiveness of his sin. Second, God called him to be an ambassador to announce the cure to the disease of sin. These Truths are for us as well, and they will fuel us for great works for the glory of God. In the book of Romans, Paul urges us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. When we dedicate our whole being to God, we give Him all we have—our heart, our mind, our time, our resources, and our personal comfort—even when it costs us everything. He is worthy of such honor. Prayer: God, You have done so much for me. I want to give You all of me as a living sacrifice. Help me to keep these Truths about Your love for me and Your call on my life at the forefront of my mind so that I honor You rightly. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Read Ephesians 5:21­-33. It can be easy to develop a routine with your spouse; we just want to get things done—get through the day. And things may look fine and feel fine, but what has really happened is that this married couple has ceased to converse, and worse still, they are content with that. They don’t realize the tremendous blessing of marital love and intimacy that they are forgoing. There are several factors that contribute to the demise of conversational intimacy within a marriage. There are three common weak points where the enemy applies pressure: our calendars, children, and conflicts. These days it is tremendously easy to fill our calendars with good activities—work, school, church events, service projects, extracurriculars for the kids—but leave out essential time to converse with our spouse. Many couples never schedule time for themselves—to converse, to exchange their thoughts and feelings, to react to one another. Every couple needs time outside of the chaos of everyday life for conversation. Small children, though they are a blessing from the Lord, can be one of the biggest hindrances to intimacy and conversation in marriage. Many people make the mistake of thinking children must come first in a marriage. But children draw security from seeing that Daddy is Mommy’s number-one priority and that Mommy is Daddy’s number-one priority. So it is healthy for the entire family when parents love one another well, following the example of Christ. Lastly, there’s conflict. It is a great fallacy to say that a good marriage does not have any conflict. The Truth is that the only way to avoid conflict in marriage is to stop conversing, thereby stifling intimacy. But if you make conflict your ally, handling it wisely, you and your spouse will grow in leaps and bounds. Implementing these three practical principles will certainly improve your conversation in your marriage. But before you put them into practice, if you haven’t already learned to pray together, hold hands and start praying! Pray for God to reveal to you your own inadequacies, weaknesses, and failures. Pray for the love of God to be poured into your heart toward your spouse. And see what new life He brings to your marriage. Prayer: Father, help me to prioritize with my spouse our calendars, children, and conversation according to what will strengthen our relationship and glorify Your name. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

In Matthew 18:21-22, when Jesus told Peter that he should forgive “seventy-seven times,” His intention was not that we should keep track of how many times someone sins against us. Rather, Jesus is saying we should keep forgiving until we lose count, too. And nowhere is this more important than in marriage. Many secular people today talk about forgiveness. But only those who know they have been forgiven much can forgive others much. How can Christians intentionally develop this type of radical forgiveness in marriage? First, it is important that we attack the insignificant. This is counterintuitive, and you may be thinking, “Doesn’t it make more sense to focus on the major issues rather than the small things?” Normally it does, but to forgive in all things we have to start by learning to forgive the small things. When you train yourself by the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive your spouse the small offenses, you will be prepared for the hurricanes as well. Next, we must arrest the incompatible, meaning that once we forgive and let go of the hurt, we need to imitate 2 Corinthians 10:5 when it says, “[W]e take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” You see, even after we have decided on forgiveness, we will still be tempted to hold a grudge. This is just what the enemy wants so he can lead us into sin. That’s why whenever even a thought of unforgiveness enters your mind, you must arrest it, right then and there. Don’t let it get a foothold in your soul. Finally, we must hold fast to our true identity. We have offended a holy God; we have wounded the heart of Jesus. And yet, every time we come to Him in confession and repentance, He extends forgiveness to us. This same power to forgive is available to all God’s children through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thus, husbands are able to freely forgive their wives, and wives, their husbands, as they remember their true identity. It is not easy to forgive with this kind of freedom. But whenever feelings of unforgiveness come to mind, we can look to Christ and choose to “[f]orgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). Prayer: Father, empower me to forgive much in my relationships, just as I have been forgiven much. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.