things too wonderful for me

The Word for today:

1 Corinthians 16

mark this:  1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on guard.  Stand true to what you believe.  Be courageous.  Be strong. 

Yesterday, we told all about the spiritual gifts. 

There were all kinds of religious words in that article: words like intercession, evangelism, and exhortation; words like discernment, apostleship, shepherding, and prophecy.

Why, those are words that can bring us to a religious boil!  They are so spiritual and scriptural and sacred, somehow.

So I do not want to demean them, but if I had to, I'd trade in that list for this one:

Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong.  (1 Corinthians 16:13)

When I took the spiritual gifts assessment, it told me that I have the gifts of knowledge and teaching.  When you take the assessment, it may show that you have the gifts of discernment and intercession and exhortation.

But when we take the larger tests of this life, may they show us, above all, to be true, and brave, and strong. 

***

I have followed my star, as it were.  Since I found that my gifts are knowledge and teaching, I have done nothing--day and night and year and decade--but learn and learn and tell and tell.  I have delved ever deeper into God's Word and into its distillation, the cross. 

But what I'm impressed with most of all is not his genius, nor his power, nor his glory.  What leaves me in awe aren't the mysteries, nor the things too wonderful for me. (1)

I've heard and read all about his omniscience, but the wonder is that he knows me.  I've read and studied all about his omnipotence, but that's nothing compared to when he lifted me up.

What leaves me awestruck isn't his Truth as it goes marching on, but how he stops to wait for me.  

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(1) Psalm 131:1; Psalm 139:6