Daily Devo
Strong in Christ Jesus
By: Kim Garrett
Friday, November 22, 2024
...be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)
Here's a popular saying that sounds good, but it doesn't line up with scripture; "God helps those who help themselves." I wish I had a quarter for every time I heard this in my youth! I heard it so much; it became my personal mantra, and I believed I was the one primarily responsible for achieving my goals and my dreams. Eventually, a self-reliant pride settled in... That is, until all my hard work came crashing down when I became physically ill. A neuromuscular disease placed my weary body into an electric wheelchair, and I was sick for most of the next ten years. As my hard-earned finances dwindled away, most of my hope departed too. I’d come to the end of myself, but that's right where God met me! My weariness and despair didn’t keep Him away. No, God approached me without judgment or condemnation. He simply spent time loving on me.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29
After quieting my fears of the future, God prompted me to open His Word. As I read and reflected on scripture, it re-aligned my heart with His. God anoints whom He appoints, and He is our best source of strength. Because of Jesus, we can rest in God's grace (the unmerited, unearned favor of God). When we relinquish control and submit to our Creator, He instills divine confidence and boldness within our souls (1 Corinthians 12:9-10). Then, we're able to recognize who God is and who we are in Him.
Our calling isn't to make a successful life happen; we’ve been divinely called by God to do three things:
- Seek Him diligently.
- Rely on Him fully.
- Trust Him completely.
Over time, my personal beliefs aligned with the truths in God’s Word. The more I read, the deeper my love for Jesus grew! Before long, my legs regained strength. By the grace of God, I eventually got up out of that wheelchair and I never looked back. That strength was not my own, I was strengthened by the grace and goodness of my Heavenly Father! My life was changed through the power of Jesus, and In Christ alone, I am made strong.
"My hope is built on nothing less;
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand!"
Read: Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Romans 16:25.