By the third week of January, the gym is usually a little quieter. The resolutions have lost their luster. The holiday decorations are packed away, and, if you live in the northern hemisphere, you are left with the gray days of winter.
It is easy to feel a little “blue.” We might look at the year ahead and feel the drudgery, wondering if we have what it takes to keep going.
On top of that, mining and working out the treasure what God has placed in us is hard work. We get tired and we feel like giving up
But this is exactly where God’s grace meets us.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” says 2 Corinthians 12:9.
The Apostle Paul, who spoke these words, knew what it was like to feel weak. He pleaded with God to remove a “thorn” in his flesh—something that made him feel limited. But God gave him a message that we need to hear right now, in the middle of our January slump.
God’s message is of sufficient grace. “There is never a shortage of grace,” says Warren Wiersbe in his commentary. “If God’s grace is sufficient to save us, then it is sufficient to sustain us,” he continues. That includes when our energy runs low and real life sets.
God’s message is of strengthening grace, too.
Sometimes the journey is hard. That relationship doesn’t heal, the finances are not enough, we face one health issue after another, and we wonder when it will all get better. It’s in these times that God, out of his love and compassion, promises to sustain and strengthen us.
None of us like to feel weak and we can question why God allows us to struggle. But, during those times of weakness, we are also promised to receive his strength. When we rely on our own strength, that’s actually a weakness. But when we know that we need God, then we’re taking the step to strength.
Over and over the Bible tells us that God is our strength. How do we access that strength? We receive it when we are:
Weary: He energizes those who get tired (Isaiah 40:29)
Weak: My strength comes into its own in your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
In trouble: God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. (Psalm 46:1)
Insecure: God is a strong fortress; he has cleared the path for me. (2 Samuel 22:33)
Getting older or our health is failing: God is rock-firm and faithful. (Psalm 73:26)
Lacking: The joy of God is your strength! (Nehemiah 8:10)
Afraid: With him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. (Psalm 27:1)
Dismayed: I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. (Isaiah 41:10)
impatient, and needing stamina: strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. (Colossians 1:11)
In need of protection: He’ll stick by you and protect you from evil. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Pause and Pray
Lord, I am feeling ___________________
(fill in the blank with one or more of how you are feeling from the list above).
Remind me that your grace is sufficient for my needs.
Thank You that I don’t have to be strong on my own.
I lean into your strength today.
Infuse my weakness with _____________________
(choose a “strength” from one or more of the Bible verses above).
Amen.
Go Deeper
When we feel “blue” or weak, sometimes the hardest thing to do is find the words to pray. In Pray Naturally, we meet Hannah—a woman who knew the deep anguish of waiting and weeping—but who I have called A Woman of Strength. She discovered that God was her “Rock” and the source of her strength long before her circumstances changed.
In Day 102, we explore how to move from weeping to rejoicing, just like Hannah. If you are struggling to find the words to access God’s strength today, Pray Naturally provides the simple, fill-in-the-blank prompts you need to guide you from silence to strength. Grab your copy and let God be your Rock in these gray days.
Go Deeper: When the holidays are over and the adrenaline fades, we can sometimes feel empty. In Pray Naturally, we walk with Naomi, a woman who didn’t hide her “blues.” In Day 80, she honestly tells her friends, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.”
Naomi teaches us that we don’t have to fake a smile to be faithful. We can bring our emptiness and even our bitterness to God. If you are feeling drained, let Naomi’s story show you how to pour out your heart honestly. Grab your copy to find the words to pray when you feel empty.
