No Other Rock

For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it. ~ Matthew 16:25

Note: This devotion is for August 11 & 12

Life offers many contradictions of this sort. They are those that are nonetheless true to fact. Here are other such paradoxes to ponder:

Paradox One: We are weakest where we are strongest, and strongest where we are weakest. As Second Corinthians says; “When I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). When we are living in entire dependence on Christ we are strongest where we are weakest, for at our weakest point the strength of Christ has its fullest opportunity.; but when we are living the self-sufficient life we are weakest where we are strongest, for there we are most liable to surprise attack.

Paradox Two: We climb highest when we stoop lowest. Most of us do not scale the heights because we cannot stoop low enough. Jesus “humbled Himself . . . even to the death of the Cross” and was lifted to the very throne of God, bearing “the Name which is above every name.” Oh, let us learn that the lower we are at the feet of Jesus, the higher we are.

Paradox Three: That which is hardest is easiest, and that which is easiest is hardest. This is ever so true with regards to prayer and knowing (or feeling) God’s will. Ironically, one often leads to the other. I have long felt that we people screw too many things up with the world’s corruption. Our pride and ego - our selfishness - often clouds our judgment and we forget to seek God’s will.

But how do we seek God’s will? Prayer of course. When you are prayerfully in communion with the Lord, you can leave the world’s corruption outside that “community” and have an honest and heartfelt conversation with God.

And while “it’s that easy” following His lead isn’t always so easy. Is it?

Today, I pray that you and I will meditate on these paradoxes and apply them according to God’s will.