DAY 8 — Yielding to His Strength

Strength training isn’t easy. I’d rather take a walk on a breezy day than grind through burpees, crunches, and planks. The writer of Hebrews gets it: discipline feels painful at first. But without it, we never grow stronger.

The same is true spiritually. Becoming strong in Christ requires exercising disciplines we already know—pouring intensity into prayer, focusing on God’s Word, choosing to believe Him with our lives.

But there’s more. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) reminds us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” When I’m feeling puny, there’s nothing left I can do in my own strength to push harder. And that’s the point.

Paul explained it this way:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” —2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Through a lifetime of trials, Paul learned that strength doesn’t come by denying weakness but by yielding it to Christ. That’s how he could say, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV).

I’ve had to learn this too. My problem? I don’t want to fail. So I hold out. I resist yielding, afraid God won’t come through. But His promise remains:

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work… for the Lord God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” —1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV

Real strength begins when we stop hiding weakness and start yielding it to Jesus.

The “recipe for change” is simple but not easy:

• Exercise the disciplines you know.
• Fix your eyes on Jesus.
• Yield your weaknesses to Him daily.

And as you do, His strength grows in you. Tomorrow more than today. Next year more than this year. Stronger—not because you’ve avoided weakness, but because you’ve found satisfaction in Christ’s strength working through it.

DRINK DEEP

What weakness are you resisting yielding to God? Write it down today. Pray through 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, asking Him to show His strength in that exact place of weakness.