His strength in our weakness

This is one of the most profound and comforting paradoxes of the Christian faith. It is not that God becomes stronger, but that His strength is made perfectly visible and effective in us when our own strength completely fails.

Here is a poem and reflection on 2 Corinthians 12:9.

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His Strength in Our Weakness

My strength is small, my power is faint,

I voice my helpless,raw complaint.

I've reached the end of all I know,

And have no further place to go.

The thorn remains, the pain is real,

A burden I am forced to feel.

I've begged the Lord to take it hence,

To bring me swift and sweet deliverance.

But then His voice, so clear and kind,

Speaks a new truth into my mind:

“My grace is all you need to live,

My power is made perfect when you have none to give.”

God is strengthened in our weakness.

Not that He grows from weak to strong,

But that His might is the very song

That plays most clearly through the night,

When we surrender all our might.

When I am strong, I take the lead,

I sow my own,self-centered seed.

I trust in my own skill and plan,

A self-sufficient,lonely man.

But when I'm weak, when I am broke,

And on His promises I choke,

I have no choice but to let go,

And in that moment,I can know

A surge of power,a divine tide,

With God Himself as my sole guide.

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

This is the secret, holy trade,

The foundation on which the saints are made.

Our failure is His platform space,

Our weakness is His throne of grace.

So I will boast now, not in me,

But in my lack,for all to see.

I'll glory in the insult,pain,

For in my loss is Christ's own gain.

For when I have no strength to stand,

I'm lifted by His nail-pierced hand.

And in that sacred,helpless place,

I see the wonder of His face.

God is strongest in our weakness.

Let this be our confession true.

Our emptiness makes room for You.

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Understanding the Promise (2 Corinthians 12:9-10):

The context is the Apostle Paul pleading with God to remove a "thorn in the flesh." God's answer was not removal, but a revelation.

1. "My grace is sufficient for you": God's unmerited favor and divine enablement are enough. They are the only resource we need to endure and even triumph in our weakness.

2. "My power is made perfect in weakness": The word "perfect" here means "completed, fulfilled, or reaches its intended goal." God's power finds its ultimate purpose and most perfect expression not in spite of our weakness, but in the very midst of it. It is showcased best against the backdrop of our inability.

3. The Human Response: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly...": We are not called to pretend we are strong. We are called to honestly acknowledge our weakness, because that is the very thing that qualifies us to experience the fullness of Christ's power.

A Prayer of Surrender:

"Lord Jesus, I come to You today with my weakness. I confess my self-reliance, my pride, and my fear. I have run out of my own strength.

Thank you that Your promise is not to always remove my thorns, but to be my strength in the midst of them. I surrender my weakness to You right now. I invite You to be strong in me.

Let Your grace be sufficient for me today. Let Your power be made perfect in my inability. I choose to boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me and be visible to all.

I trust not in my strength, but in Yours alone. In Your mighty name, Amen."