(C) Cheryl Howard 2008

“And HE said to me, ‘MY favor, MY gifts, benefits and joy, MY liberality, MY pleasure, and MY grace are sufficient for you; they are enough, be content for they are satisfactory to avail you, they will defend you and ward off harm and make you strong. For MY miraculous power, MY virtue, might, force and strength, MY abundant ability fills up and completes your lack of strength, it makes perfect and is made perfect in your weakness, it consecrates and sets you apart and it fulfils your frailty, finishes your infirmity and feebleness. It is MY strength and power that accomplishes this! What you lack I have and I give to you all you need when you depend upon ME, when you realize I am enough for you – ALL that you need!’

  Therefore, because of this truth, most gladly, most delightedly, with great relish and great pleasure will I rejoice in, vaunt, make a boast of and glory in my weakness and frailty, my feebleness and infirmity – in my own lack of strength; so that the miraculous power and might of CHRIST - HIS abundance, ability, virtue and strength may rest upon me, abide with me and spread a ‘tent’, a ‘tabernacle’ over me, covering me, over my life!”

thought for the journey ….

2 Corinthians 12:10 goes on to tell us that not only does Paul ’boast’ in his weakness, but he has learnt to take pleasure in distresses, infirmities, reproaches, persecutions & needs because he has learnt the truth - that when he is weak then he is strong in CHRIST’s strength & enabling!

How desperately we need to learn to focus on our SAVIOR’s strength and wholeness and not on our brokenness and weakness! There are two truths here that we need to have seared on our innermost being: 1/ We are weak, frail & feeble …

            BUT  …..                            2/ HE is miraculously strong & powerful …..!

HE fills up our lack - if we let our lack show us our utter helplessness, our total need of HIM - if this lack is the impetus that drives us to HIS embrace, to throwing ourselves completely upon HIS grace; knowing that HE alone is all we will ever need! Yield to HIM, put our trust & hope in Him, depend upon HIM and let HIM flood us with HIS ‘in powering’. The more we lack, the more place for HIM to fill with HIS sufficiency!

It is all about JESUS - keep our hearts & minds steadfastly set upon HIM, rest in HIS strength. HIS grace & favor are all we need. It is HE who enables us, by HIS HOLY SPIRIT, to overcome,to be victorious! Faith - the heart that trust in GOD, in HIS sufficiency.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me.”

Romans 8:26a “Likewise The SPIRIT also helps us in our weaknesses.”

Romans 8:37 “yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through HIM who loved us!”