Daily Reading // 2 Corinthians 7:8-16
READY // SILENCIO
Take a moment to quiet your mind and prepare your heart for your time with the Lord.
READ // LECTIO
Read the passage above up to three times aloud. Allow yourself to feel the words as they are read.
REFLECT // MEDITATIO
Now direct your focus on the words, phrases concepts or sentences that got your attention. What is God speaking to you today through His word?
2 Corinthians 7:16 (NIV) I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
This verse stuck out to me today.
There is a lot of truth in this portion of scripture, especially about godly sorrow. But this verse caught my attention.
“I can have complete confidence in you.” Imagine how good it made the Corinthians to hear this from their mentor, the Apostle Paul. Their reaction to his correction only strengthened his confidence in them.
He had bragged to Titus about them. And when Titus met them for himself, what had been said about them was confirmed. Paul’s brags were not empty words of praise but substantive.
And imagine how good it made Paul feel to have confidence in them. He could trust them. They were trustworthy. How rare it is in these days to have the depth of relationship that fosters confidence.
Of course, this raises two questions for me:
Am I the kind of person in whom people can have confidence? If someone brags about me will I live up to their praise?
Are there people in whom I can have confidence? Who can I count on to come through even when it gets tough?
I think these are important questions, particularly in a time of increasingly surface relationships. If I don’t have an affirmative answer to these questions, I need to evaluate the state of my relationships.
Also, do I have confidence in Jesus? Can He have confidence in me? Important questions to ponder.
RESPOND // ORATIO
Pray in response to what the Lord has spoken to you.
Jesus, Make me a person in whom others can have confidence. Help me to deepen my relationships to a point of confidence. I have confidence in You, Lord! Amen!
Tomorrow’s reading -> Psalm 41:1-13