As I was reading through the first couple of chapters of 2 Corinthians this morning a couple of verses just jumped out at me – verses 25 & 26 of the first chapter. There was something about the verses that I felt I needed to spent some more time in and to really wait in Gods presence to hear what He had to say… so I went to the practice of Lectio Divina…
Lectio Divina is an ancient Christian spiritual discipline of contemplatively praying the scriptures. It is a practice of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to increase in the knowledge of God’s Word. It is the unhurried savoring of a text so eternal truth enters our spirit and transforms us. This form of devotion and communication enhances our capacity to become holy listeners.
I am new to this practice, however I see its worth. So I would like to share some of this mornings experience with you…
2 Corinthians 1:25&26
“It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and He has identified us as his own by planting the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he promised us.”
How this spoke to me was like this…
“It is God”…
God is at the centre, he is the source, it is all about him, he was “in the beginning” and will be at the end, the great “I Am”. All Authority, all Power, Grace, Mercy and Love are His…
“It is God who enables”…
God is active, not passive. He didn’t just wind up his creation like a clock in six days and leave it to run… God continuously interacts. He empowers, He frees, He Loves…
“It is God who enables us”…
He chooses to interact with us… we are His chosen ones… he knows us each by name… he shows us mercy… he comforts us. He is up close and personal… I am His and He is mine…
“It is God who enables us, along with you”…
We are not alone in the receiving of His love, mercy and grace… we are in community with each other… we are in the same body… not just a collection of rugged individuals (no lone rangers), we are essentially connected to each other and cannot function in completeness without each other… and He “enables” us both in our individuality and in community… we are His and He is ours…
“It is God who enables us, along with you, to”…
He has a purpose, he has a “to” for this love, grace and mercy…
I could go on like this with the whole passage – but I hope you can see just how powerful this is… Please give it a go…
And so just to finish a wee cartoon I came across about Lectio Divina…
re:connect 
Yes, I do this a lot. Try chewing on Colossions 2 (Amplified Bible) :
9For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].
10And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].
11In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).
12[Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [[h]to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.
13And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions,
14Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.
15[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].
Love the cartoon!