Weakness

Today's Devotion is gratefully taken from the 1/28/11 devotion "Joy and Strength" from www.backtothebible.org

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people. Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about “the thorn” and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong – the less I have, the more I depend on Him.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Judges 5:21 March on, my soul with strength!


Title: Receiving From God's Hand
Author: Mary Wilder Tileston
Scripture References:
1 Chronicles 29:12-13 Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”


WHEN I have nothing in my hand
Wherewith to serve my King,
When Thy commandment finds me weak
And wanting everything,
My soul, upon Thy greatness cast,
Shall rise divinely free;
Then will I serve with what Thou hast,
And gird myself with Thee.
ANNA L. WARING

HOW are we to approach such blessed strength? First of all, through a steadfast will to refuse nothing that God requires of us, and to do nothing deliberately which can displease Him. Next, we must learn to take our faults humbly, as proofs of our weakness, and use them to increase our trust in God, and our mistrust of self. Neither must we be discouraged at our own wretchedness, or give way to the thought that we cannot do or bear any special thing; our duty is, while confessing that of ourselves it is impossible, to remember that God is all-powerful, and that through Him we can do whatever He may require of us. We must learn to say with St. Augustine, "Give me what Thou commandest, and command what Thou wilt." JEAN NICOLAS GROU

My Thirty Day Faith Dare – Day Nine

Asking and Not Receiving – Dare to Remember that God Gives good Gifts to His Children

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Today’s Truth: Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

Today’s truth is speaking to me…

In today’s chapter the author speaks about long-unanswered prayers concerning one of her children. She writes, “God has something good for my child and will answer my prayers on His behalf. The answer will come in God’s time because everything is about a bigger picture. But surely in God’s time the answer will come in the form of a good gift. Whether it is the answer I wanted or expected is not important; the important thing is that God will give the right gift and answer to prayer at the right time. I am still waiting…seeking…knocking… praising… even though I don’t see the answer today, I know it’s coming.

My heart aches so desperately writing this tonight that I can barely breathe. I have been praying for my daughter for years, and I am still praying. My head and heart know and believe God’s promises… but sometimes, when I read something like this, it hits so close to home, like a pain-seeking missile zeroing in on its target. I confess there are times I want to give up, to drop in a tired heap and whisper “Why bother?”

From another viewpoint, I find it hard to see myself as the child/receiver of God’s gifts/answered prayer. Often my prayers are meager because I don’t believe myself worthy to either pray for something, or worthy of receiving. Why me? After all the trouble I’ve been/am, why me? I guess some of this comes from the whole not growing up with a father thing. I have no frame of reference.

Then again, in retrospect, there have been times when I have had answered prayers – and to tell you the truth, sometimes I must caution, be careful what you prayer for, because sometimes God will give you over to your heart’s desire. And that can be a VERY BAD thing indeed. This, of course, is not to say that I have not witnessed amazing, awesome, miraculous answered prayers in my life. I have, and it brings tears and praise and goosebumps.

I was sitting with a friend tonight talking about God answering our prayers, and sometimes when He does begin to answer our prayers, we almost don’t believe it. We do say why me? Sigh… Oh, Lord, You are SO patient with us… we ask/seek/knock, You answer, and then we struggle to believe it!!! You must shake Your head, sigh, and just smile…

Today’s Dare: Remember that God Gives Good Gifts to His Children


God is asking me to…
Believe He has heard my prayer and is working in His timing.
Turn my thinking around and learn to trust in God’s time.

Forgive my impatience, unbelief, and lack of faithfulness, Father. My heart is weary, and my faith is weak.

My challenge is to…
Rest and rejoice in His timing
Believe He will do what He says He will do
Be still and know that He is God

I will continue to ask, seek, and knock. I will believe You are working in my life and the life of my daughter to bring about Your glory, and I will believe what You say.