Daily Devotions
February 24th, 2012 by Pastor Solley2 Cor 12:14-15
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, the words in the Bible are the very words of God. But there are passages which give us a picture of the heart of the human instrument God used to write down His Word. In 2 Cor 12:14-15 we see deep into the heart of Paul. Why was he glad to spend and be spent for those believers? They questioned his authority, ignored his counsel, some looked down on him, refused to obey the Word as God gave it to Paul, mocked God by walking in open sin, and on and on we could go. Why would Paul spend and be spent for them? Why did he love them so much, care so much about them? Because when Paul looked at them he looked through the eyes of Christ, and Paul looked at himself as well. Paul knew what Jesus Christ had done for him even though he tried to destroy the church. Even though Paul arrested Christians and saw them put to death Jesus Christ loved him and saved him. Paul never forgot that. That truth my friend is what many Christians are missing today. We tend to forget what we were and are, where we were headed before Christ saved us and what we were doing. As we forget that we have less and less burden for the lost and less and less patience with others. If we could only see ourselves as Christ saw us, if we would only consider what Christ still puts up with in us, if we would only look through the eyes of Christ. Then we would have more patience with others, a greater burden for those without Jesus. Are we willing to spend and be spent?