Savoring the Scripture

  He Opens and No One Will Shut  2 Corinthians 2:12-13 Instead of always counting on Him to creatively pave the way to our happiness, we need to humbly accept that God has the authority to say no to us without having to say yes somewhere else. Jeremiah Johnson Alexander Graham Bell famously said,“When one door closes, another one opens.” Many have often quoted this when facing discouragement over a failed opportunity or unmet desire. When  seeking direction about a path to pursue, people will use open and closed “doors” to guide them. A missed opportunity simply paves the way for a different direction, and to modern day people, a better one. The language of an “open door” is even found in the Scriptures; but in the Scripture, what does it mean to have an open door? Is it simply the opening of one opportunity and the closing of another?  In 2 Corinthians 2:12-13, Paul recounts to the Corinthians that he went to Troas, and upon arriving there “a door was opened for me ...

  Forgive, Comfort, and Reaffirm Your Love “…you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 Recently, my youngest, when she gets in trouble, desperately says, “Do you still love me?” I quickly reassure her of my love, along with hugs and kisses, but it demonstrates the reassurance many of us need when we’ve wronged someone we love. We ask for forgiveness, and when comfort and an affirmation of love are given along with the granting of forgiveness, our hearts can truly rest. Joseph, the favorite son of his father Jacob, was severely wronged by his brothers. They hated him and sold him into slavery (Gen. 37:28). After many years and many trials, Joseph, now in the place of power over his brothers, does not exact revenge, but offers forgiveness. His forgiveness is not merely words, however, but by dealing kindly with them and providing for them and their li...

My Joy Comes from Your Being Joyful “Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful.” 2 Corinthians 2:3 NLT One mark of true friendship and love is the ability for us to rejoice in and alongside the joy of another person. When something truly remarkable happens to a friend, can I rejoice with them when they are rejoicing? Can I share in their joy and add to their joy by rejoicing with them? When Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians, he wanted to express his heart of love for them. He had previously had to express some tough love for them because of their waywardness, yet he wanted them to know that while the letter he had written had been painful for them to read, and had caused him much affliction and anguish of heart to write, he had done so in order that they would know the love he had for them (2:4). He embraced the calling to be one who works for the joy of other believers (2 Cor. 1:24), and in light of that calling, his joy became intertwined with theirs. ...