Avizandam. In Scots law, this term describes the careful consideration given by the judge before an important decision. Join me each week as we explore various topics from a spiritual perspective and take matters. Avise endum During the month of October, I struggled with a severe nerve pain on the right side of my face. In the goodness of God, my neurologist prescribed medication, which has been of tremendous help.
But during that month of excruciating pain, I learned of the frailty of my own humanity and of the need to depend totally on the Lord. I also learned that many Christians have homespun remedies, which, on the whole, I ignored. I knew the problem was not caused by what I ate or drank. For many years, I have suffered from mild forms of this pain, but it came with a vengeance during the month of October. I don't know what triggered this recent and fierce episode.
When I open my mouth wide to enunciate when I'm preaching, or open my mouth to eat, The pain was often triggered. As I said to my neurologist, I love to speak and I love to eat, so please do something about the pain. If I can't speak, I can't preach the living word of God. If I can't eat, I'm going to waste away. While I didn't announce my affliction from the pulpit as I don't want to draw attention to myself, I did ask the elders and others to pray for me.
Many understood from seeing my difficulties when I preached in October.
So I praise God for the prayers of His people. That encouragement of bringing my name to the throne of grace was most assuring. Recently as a staff we've gone through the book of 2 Corinthians. Each Wednesday we have staff devotions when one of our pastors gives a reading of scripture and a short message based on the text. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 1-10 was allotted to me on Wednesday, September 17.
Little did I know that this was the Lord preparing me for my thorn in the flesh. Paul writes in verse 7, So to keep me from becoming conceited, because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
Now, I quickly explained, I've not experienced, as Paul did, the surpassing greatness of these revelations. But as an ambassador of Christ and a preacher of grace, there's always the temptation to become proud. when speaking to a large congregation. Paul pleaded with the Lord three times. Here was his answer from the Lord, which was a tremendous comfort to me.
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Paul goes on to say, Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, Then I'm strong. was difficult for me to boast of my weaknesses, but I claimed the promise that when I am weak, then I am strong.
A mature believer at Calvary, not knowing of the severity of my pain, remarked on the third Sunday, when I had preached through the extreme pain, that the last three Sundays, the Sundays of my severe pain, were the most helpful messages to Him that I had ever preached. In a fallen world all of us deal with pain.
Some pain is physical, some emotional, some psychological. and some a mixture of all three. Whatever your pain, cry out to the Lord. Ask God's people to pray for your healing and claim the promise that in your weakness and in your pain the power of God may be evidenced in you. For when you're weak, then you are strong.
Alexander. You're listening to the weekly Avizandam podcast from The Verdict, featuring Pastor John Monroe. John is senior pastor at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Listen to John's daily program, The Verdict, on broadcast radio or major podcast platforms. For more information about the Verdict Ministry, visit us online at calvarychurch.com/slash the verdict.
