ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness
UNITY When Scripture speaks about God’s attributes it never singles out one attribute as more important than the rest. Every attribute is completely true of God and God’s character.
John can say that “God is light” (1 John 1:5) and then a little later say also that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Each attribute is simply a way of describing one aspect of God’s total character or being. God himself is unified, completely integrated, and infinitely perfect in all of these attributes.
The reality of God’s unity transcends our understanding, but if all of God could be understood by our minds He would cease to be God.
Praise God for His Unity
Praise God that He is perfect in love and perfect in justice all the time. Praise God that He executes wrath and He is merciful. Praise God for His unity. Praise God that He is perfectly all of Himself at all the times.
CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100
SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.
- Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
- Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel.
- Pray for the River Youth Group. Ask God to save kids who do not know him and to strengthen youth in their faith.
SCRIPTURE READING:
2 Corinthians 2 Christian Standard Bible
In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? 3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
A Sinner Forgiven
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate—to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7 As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
A Trip to Macedonia
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a door for me, 13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.
A Ministry of Life or Death
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
One translation reads, “Who is sufficient for these things?” in 2 Corinthians 2:16. Another, “Who is equal to such a task?” Paul is referring to a life lived in full gospel victory in the midst of life’s difficulty. Who can pull off that kind of balance? Well, of course, no one can. At least not on their own. That is his implied answer. In the next chapter he will give the fuller response. No one is able, on their own power, to pull this off but God gives his people his power to rise up to the challenge, to become equal to the task. Here is another tension that is important to embrace. You are not up the task and you never will be. Whenever you try to make life happen on your own, you will fail. However, God can make you equal for the task. As you live in a connected, obedient relationship with him he will ensure you are “sufficient” for what comes your way. The idea of “sufficiency” is that of “enough.” He will give you what you need, “enough.” He will usually not give more than what you need. You will probably not have such a surplus that you will be able to forget who it is that is making you “equal” to the task.