Stand FirmSample

God Gives Us His Grace to Stand Firm

If someone asked you, ‘Who is the strongest person you know?’, what would your response be? When discussing strengths and weaknesses, we tend to highlight our best qualities - ‘I'm incredibly tall’ or ‘I'm good at maths.’ Yet strengths and weaknesses can collide. How often do we boast about our weaknesses? We rarely say, ‘I struggle with insecurity’ or ‘I lack confidence,’ because it's not normal to talk openly about our weakness. We all carry brokenness, the depths of which only God knows. In our brokenness, God's voice often rings clearest.

There are different types of weakness - physical weakness, exemplified by Moses's stutter; mental weakness, such as fear; and spiritual weakness, like Peter's denial of Jesus. Weakness can lead to discouragement, which breeds doubt, as we focus on our problems rather than God. This creates discouraged dreams. Like Gideon, we may feel we're unlikely candidates to represent God or that we're not good enough. Yet there's power in weakness—it doesn't define us but instead creates opportunities for God's power to shine through.

You might wonder how God's grace connects to our strengths and weaknesses. It may be described as removing a thorn or weakness that afflicts us. God responds that his grace is sufficient. Grace gets us through each season of life, even as they shift and change. Through this, we discover that when we are weak, we are strong. As Philip Yancey writes, ‘Grace is a free gift from God, but in order to receive a gift, you must have open hands.’ Essentially, God uses weaknesses to teach us how to openly receive his grace.

Grace chases, finds, saves, and empowers us. Though undeserved, it is freely given. Through faith by grace, we are saved—able to achieve far more than we could alone. This grace gives us the strength to stand firm, transforming our weaknesses into strength, through him.

Questions

What weaknesses might God be using to teach you grace?

How can you show grace to others today?

Like Gideon, where do you struggle to trust God without seeking signs?

Prayer

Lord, thank you that your grace is sufficient through all seasons. I know that when I feel weak, you make me strong. Help me to learn that I do not need to earn grace—you have already given it to me. I know I am not defined by weakness but by your grace itself. Amen.