May 31, 2026
Dear friends in Christ grace and peace to you. The message for this week comes from
2 Corinthians 12:1-10.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”(vs.9)
Paul writes to the church in Corinth in this passage. This passage is again a precursor to our reading for this coming Sunday but it is worth reading chapters eleven and twelve to get a feel for what Paul is facing as he contemplates the goings on in the church in Corinth. Paul has visited the church in Corinth twice before and is writing to note that he is coming to visit for a third time. The reason for his visit is that he has been hearing rumors that the people of Corinth are beginning to turn away from God and returning to their sinful ways. Paul begins by referencing his own personal issues. We aren’t told what the “thorn in my flesh” might be. It could have been some debilitating or chronic medical issue that kept him from working. Whatever the case, this thorn was a hindrance to his ministry. Paul prayed for it to be removed but God refused. God responded to Paul’s pleas instead with “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Instead of healing, Paul received a stronger character, he learned humility and through his thorn he was able to understand the woes of others and to help others who were also facing challenges in their lives. When others saw that Paul was able to continue his ministry despite his health issues people took notice and saw God working in and through Paul.
If you have lived in this life at all you know that problems arise in life. They might seem insurmountable at times. We might be tempted to give up and throw in the towel admitting defeat. But God will always show us another way. God always provides options for our situations. When we are strong and rely on our own abilities we tend to do God’s work on our own and that usually leads to an issue of pride. On occasion it seems that we as followers of Jesus need to experience a little humility in order to ground us in faith. We need humility to remind ourselves that we are not in charge and not in control of everything around us. Paul reminds us in this text that humility is a good thing for us because it makes us stronger in faith. I don’t believe that God intentionally wants us to be weak or passive. When obstacles get in the way of everyday life God wants us to rely on him. It is through his power that we will be effective in doing the work God calls us to do for him—the work that has lasting value.
May the peace of God be with all of you as you trust God to lead you on your journey of faith.
Michael Isaacson
May 24, 2026
Dear friends in Christ grace and peace to you. The message for this week comes from
Numbers 11:4-17.
This passage from Numbers is a precursor to our reading for this coming Sunday. Sometimes the readings given to us each week gives us only part of the story and so we need a little background information to get the full story. As I read this text it brought to mind a question: why are we rarely satisfied with what we have or have been given? I can cite several instances in my life where I felt that way. I will offer a couple here. One is when I was offered an early retirement from my job. I was offered a buyout where I was given the opportunity to retire early and receive a cash payment to do so. And I agonized for weeks about the offer. Could I financially afford to retire with what was offered? Would I be laid off and not receive anything? Would anyone hire me at my age should I want or need to work somewhere else? I talked with others who were given the same opportunity I was. Some readily accepted the offer, others readily rejected the offer. I couldn’t make up my mind. Finally one of my co-workers said to me one day: “Mike, how much is enough?” And when I made the decision to accept the offer it was like there was a weight lifted from me.
Another instance was more recently when I sold some feeder cattle. If you follow the markets at all you know that beef prices are high. And so when I sold my feeders and got a higher price for them than I had ever seen; my first reaction was I wish had more cattle to sell. And again; how much is enough? Why are we rarely satisfied with what have or have been given?
In our text for this week the Israelites complained to Moses about their situation. It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. Through Moses, God had led the people out of slavery to freedom. They were free and they were on their way journeying to the Promised Land. But they chose to complain. It wasn’t enough to be free, it wasn’t enough that God was providing food everyday in the form of manna; they wanted more. Moses tired of hearing his people complaining, then Moses complained to God. And to be fair, Moses was carrying an incredible burden. He was carrying the burden of all of the people who trusted him to lead them. It’s true that the Israelites where facing some hardship but rather than reaching out to God for help, they complained.
I think we all have faced hardships in our lives or at least what we perceive to be hardships. But I can’t remember a time when I was facing hardships when God didn’t step in and provide either an answer or a way forward. When faced with hardships our first reaction shouldn’t be to complain but to turn to God in prayer. Just as God responded to the needs of the people wandering in the wilderness he will respond to our needs too. I have never experienced a situation where God didn’t provide -- “this too shall pass.” Let us give thanks to a God who loves us and gives us what we need when we need it. Let us be satisfied with what God provides.
May the peace of God be with all of you as you praise God for the beauty that surrounds us.
Michael Isaacson
