Burdened Beyond Our Strength

Scripture:  II Corinthians 1:8-9 (NASB) - For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction… indeed we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead…”

The Apostle Paul often voiced familiarity with today’s scriptural focus. So did Mark the Apostle in the gospel bearing his name ( See Mark 9:17-29).  For many of us our unspoken mindset during the day is frequently, ‘I got this, LORD!’  Some of us become haphazard about our quiet time and launch into the day floating on a “mental current of self-reliance.”  While many today mock the notion of trusting in Jesus, temptations to stress, mild to severe depression, physical illness, and a host of other adversities are not limited to those who spurn the gospel.  Today’s verse reminds us that dependency upon the LORD is commanded by those professing to know Him.  It’s a command that we should never resist nor pridefully dismiss.

Scripture teaches us that dependency on the Lord is tantamount to power! (See Zechariah 4:6; Acts 1:8). How contrary that is to the secular mentality!  Inasmuch as word meditation is to your spirit and what physical exercise is to your body, let’s apply that old cultural axiom of “act like you know” and revitalize our dependence upon the Holy Spirit before we start our day by meditating  on such encouraging verses as Prov. 3:5, 6,  Ps. 39:7, Ps. 71:3-5, Isaiah 26:4, and many, many others.  If you’ve never done so, try writing on 3 x 5 cards some key promises of God that speak peace to your spirit for specific situations which you confront daily; better yet, commit them to memory! Pray those verses in a personalized way back to the Lord, and see how He will strengthen you to endure when you’re in the crucible of daily or even seasonal life challenges.

Prayer:  Precious Lord, please forgive us for failing to trust You as completely and consistently as we’ve been invited to do every day, in every circumstance,  by virtue of our relationship to You through the completed redemptive work of Christ Jesus on the cross.  In Jesus’ name. Amen!

(by Sis. Denise Diggs)