“This happened so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead… We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Cor. 1:9; 4:7
Heavenly Father, thank you for your ongoing commitment to rescue us from the illusion of self-sufficiency and the cult of personal competency. Where did we ever get the wicked notion that spiritually mature people need Jesus less, not more? You didn’t send Jesus into the world to be our helper. You sent Jesus to be our righteousness, life, treasure—our all-in-all.
Paul modeled this so well for us. His great delight in you was revealed by his utter dependence on you. Early in 2023, we want to join Paul in celebrating the treasure of the Gospel, accepting our own “jar-of-clay-ness,” and loving and trusting you, “the God who raises the dead” (2 Cor. 1:9). Jesus’ resurrection has secured the end to all forms of death. Hallelujah!
So Father, grant us grace to own our limits, fast feet to run from self-sufficiency, and freedom to boast in our weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9-10). You are “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3), but in what ways do we need you to be “the God of resurrection(s)?”
Some of us will have surgery or start chemotherapy next week. Some of us are in fresh stories that reveal how needy and weak we’ve always been. Some of us are in relationships that have more in common with a morgue than a garden.
Some of us are living with chronic pain, or have loved ones committed to chronic foolishness, or have become stuck in chronic fear, anxiety, and unbelief. We abandon ourselves to your grace, power, and faithfulness. So Very Amen.