Strength with God – July 17, 2021

But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9,10

Strength with God

People who want to be fit and strong will often include the lifting of weights in their exercise routine. Serious weightlifters follow proper lifting techniques, including having spotters nearby just in case the lifter can’t lift the bar up again. Nobody would be content to rely on a spotter to lift the bar up each time. That would be foolish! The spotter would get a better workout than the lifter.

The apostle Paul gives us a different picture in our Bible reading for today. He tells us that his strength and power did not come from his muscles, but from God’s power: [The Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We have a tendency to rely upon ourselves to make it through the difficulties of life. We might view dependency on someone else as a sign of weakness. But dependence on God for his help is not weakness but strength. The almighty God is capable of handling all of our problems and providing for all of our needs. By ourselves, we are weak. God is the strong one. Trusting his power and love, we are strong.

Prayer:
Lord God, humble me and make me strong in you and your love. For when I remember your strength and love for me, that’s when I know my true strength. You are my strength. Thanks be to you, God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.