Paul

I have thought a lot about the apostle Paul these last weeks. He, like Job, led a very strained life. The main difference being that Job's affliction struck all at once and Paul endured affliction all of his days as a Christian. In 2 Corinthians 6:4-5 Paul lists some of the things he has gone through. "In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. " I have always heard it said of Paul how strong and faithful he was to keep his faith despite all of the toils he encountered. But after the extreme blow that we ourselves have encountered I would venture to say that he didn't remain strong and faithful at all despite what he went through, but because of what he went through. I would venture to say that Paul was a very weak man. Only because of the misery he endured, God's strength was shown through him. "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." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10  (paul speaking) To be broken in such a way that there is no way but up, is to realize that you have nothing to do but rest in God's arms and allow Him to work through you. You quickly realize how utterly worthless you are, how weak and needy. Any strength seen in Paul, or in us, are not to be attributed to Paul or to us, but what is being seen through our troubles is the perfect strength of God!

I could never hope to accomplish all that Paul did in his life, but I know I serve the same God! And the same God that brought him through all of his troubles and allowed him to write the majority of the New Testament will surely show himself also through my weakness. I choose Him, because He first chose me. I have no strength to do much of anything for Him right now. I just rest in his arms allowing Him to comfort me. I don't know how long this will go on, but I know He says

 ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Now is our time to mourn and weep over what was Jeffrey's time to die. But with this comes the assurance that there will also be a time for us to heal, and laugh, dance, and be built up.