Week 10 in Review

Hello, blog readers. I am Jon’s Mom. He asked me this week if either his Dad, or I would be

willing to write a contribution to the blog, since we joined all of you in this bible reading

challenge that is coming to an end soon! I have been really enjoying reading the Word of God

together with Jon and Kim, and all of you! (And I am a God praising mom seeing my child and

his family running with the Lord!)

The passage this week that really stood out to me, as I was reading, Was 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For

he says, “In a favourable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in

anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we

commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,

beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge,

patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God;

with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand, and for the left; through honour and

dishonour, through slander and praise. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as

unknown and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished and yet not killed; as

sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing

everything.

In this passage Paul appealed to his readers not to receive the grace of God in vain (they had

heard the glorious Gospel of salvation, they should not let it be useless in them.). he told them,

“Behold, now is the favourable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” He made sure to put

no obstacles in their way so that his ministry would not be faulted for those who would not

receive this grace he preached. He also recognized that he and his co-workers were God’s

servants. And the verses that hit me hardest followed—Paul’s actions as God’s servant

commended him IN EVERY WAY (emphasis mine). His actions and experiences proved his

praiseworthiness in his ministry.

This passage really convicts me, first because often in my life I have been restricted in my own

affections, and need to widen my own heart toward God and his servants. And it makes me

ask myself, as a servant of God, if I have lived in such a way that I might be commended?

Certainly, any list I compiled would be much, much shorter than Paul’s! Praise God for his

living word that, like a two edged sword, discerns the thoughts and intentions of my heart.

(Heb. 4:12)

While my faithfulness may be in small things, like loving and caring for my family, growing in my

knowledge of God, patience, kindness, truthful speech, etc., I was also reminded that many of

my brothers and sisters around the world would have commendation lists that look a whole lot

more like Paul’s. An article from National Post came across my FB feed this week that stated

that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world (Jesus promised this would

be the case: (Jn 15:20 as an example)). A study in 2016 said that a christian was killed for his

faith every 16 minutes. My guess is that today that number would be higher. Today many of

our brothers and sisters are commending themselves in great endurance, afflictions, hardships,

calamities, etc. I need to be more faithful in praying for them, helping and partnering with them

in any way possible, and in recognizing that they, like Paul, are the heroes of our faith.

May the Lord continue to bless you all as you plant his word in your hearts and minds!

LaFaun Millar