Weekly Devotion

                             Through God’s grace our gifts will thrive in 2025

 “Blessings Out of Buffeting!” The word yesterday was amazing. The inspiration for this week’s topic came from 2 Cor 12:1-10. The essence of the word is how God uses difficulties to strengthen us and allow us to soar to our potential. Rev. Shanda gave an analogy of a butterfly that had been released from its cocoon without going through the process needed to strengthen its wings. What was meant to reduce the butterfly’s adversity stunted its growth. Let that sink in!                                         

                                              What we need to remember:

· Buffeting has a purpose:  To buffet is the action of striking someone or something repeatedly and violently. It is hard to fathom how that type of action could possibly be beneficial. We learned that adversity and discomfort help us to recognize our need for God, keep us humble & know God deeper!

· God’s promise in Buffeting: Although buffeting is unpleasant, God promises that He will be with us through the process. He promises that He will be our “Sufficiency.” In the places we fall short He will step and make the difference. He will pick us up, hold us up, and set us up for victory. 

1. · The prize out of Buffeting: Buffeting births praise! What’d you say?? Yeah, when we come out on the other side of a season of buffeting (I call it a season because no matter the length of time, it feels like a season), we discover the different attributes of God & how He is present in every trial we face. That reality prompts praise.   

In the 2 Corinthian text, Paul tells us that he had been tormented by a thorn in his flesh. He didn’t the nature of the thorn however he used the word tormented which suggested he was experiencing extreme anguish because of a physical or mental affliction.  When he asked Jesus to remove it, the response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” To me, the answer wasn’t “No,” it was “Know.”  

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. 2Cor 12:10

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