July 28 – Weak Strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

“If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!”
(Proverbs 24:10)

IN WORD:
Paul struggled with a thorn in the flesh. Three times he asked God to remove it, but the now-familiar answer was clear: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul heard straight from God’s mouth how to persevere in a trial. It is God’s strength that carries us through.
Jesus assured us that we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33). How negligent would our Father be if He knew this and did not prepare us for the tough times! We are not designed to cruise through this life with ease. We are built for endurance by the God who has planned an eternity for us. He knows trouble will come. He simply must prepare us to handle it in grace and His strength.
Newly manufactured products are often given a stress test. An extreme amount of pressure is applied to them — more than they will experience in regular use — so that their strength can be verified. God does the same for us, as painful as it is. But there’s a difference. He’s not testing us for our strength. He is testing us for our inclination to depend upon His strength. His power is the only power that can carry us through.
We would agree with the above proverb. We do falter in times of trouble, and our strength is small. But we have learned a secret. Small strength allows room for God’s power. It sends us in search of a Sustainer and a Deliverer, and there is no more worthwhile search. We will find Him if we are under no illusions about our own self-sufficiency.

IN DEED:
Are you going through a trial? It is more than a lesson in tolerance. It is for your endurance and it is a lesson in dependence. Know your weakness. Know your potential for faltering. Then know the power of your God. Blessed is the person who can say, “How small is my strength!” With the knowledge that there is a greater strength available. And blessed is the Giver of sufficient grace. Where we are weak, He is strong.

“When a man has no strength, if he leans on God, he becomes powerful.” -D.L. Moody-