I am weak, but HE is STRONG!

Are you hurting today? I don’t know what you are facing today, but I have been through some hard times recently. My body, soul, and spirit have been challenged. The spiritual battles have been fierce, and I am wounded and sore. And through it all, God is still good! He has used the hard things to strengthen my faith and my relationship with Him, and bring healing to my soul!

Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have looked back to times of trial with a kind of longing, not to have them return, but to feel the strength of God as I have felt it then, to feel the power of faith as I have felt it then, to hang on God’s powerful arm as I have hung on it then, and to see God at work as I was Him then.”

The Lord reminded me today that I am weak, but He is strong! We desperately need the power of God in our lives! Without Him, we are nothing. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul writes about his thorn in the flesh, and his prayers asking God to take it from him.

2Corinthians 12:7-10  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

Thorns hurt! Have you had pain in your life that you have asked God to take away? I have! When we hurt, our first thought is “What can I do to make this pain stop?” Paul asked God to take away the pain. And God answered, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

When we are weak, God is strong! His strength is made perfect or complete in our weakness. We don’t truly know the sweetness of leaning on the everlasting arms until we can no longer stand on our own strength.

Paul carried his thorn in the flesh with him for the rest of his life, but he didn’t complain about it. He took pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. God uses weakness to show His strength and power! If I have any strength to make it through the hard times, it is only Christ in and through me. I have no strength of my own!

I don’t have a longing for trials like Charles Spurgeon, and I have never taken pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions, and distresses like Paul. But I long to know God, to have His strength and power, and to see Him work in my life! The Lord uses our pain and trials to bring us closer to Him. When we hurt, we tend to pray more. We read the Bible more, looking for answers to our problems.

Jesus loves you, and He cares about your pain! I encourage you to take your pain to Jesus today in prayer. He does not always choose to take away the pain, but He will give us His grace, and His strength!

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me, and He loves you! What is God doing in your life today?

P.S. The song But If Not by Adam & Casie Ravert has encouraged me recently! Whatever you are going through, God is still good, and He is still God! You can trust Him, your Savior and your Friend!