When God Breaks Your Strength

We are too mindful of our own strength. We want to be in control. We pride ourselves using our wit and skills to cope and manage through life. We'd rather grit our teeth than admit we are weak and incapable of getting through tough times.

Paul speaking about the call of God tells us the way of strength is through the weakness of God. I Corinthians 1:25 says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (KJV). Nothing is weaker than our lives as fragile clay vessels to tell others of God's love.

The way of living in God's strength is when He breaks our own strength. He must make us weak for His power to be known and His testimony exalted. Only His Spirit can break our steely self-will that often resists the Potter's molding and shaping process.

Psalms 102:23 says, "He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days." But the Psalmist continues, "But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end." (verse 27). God knows we are but dust and water. He knows the weakness of our frame and the false strength of our self-will.

Beloved, at the moment we come to the end of ourselves we see God who is majestic and eternal. A God who does not change but transforms us. Since He does not change His mercy remains and we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).

There was a time when I cried out to the Lord to truly live. For the longest time I struggled with the desire to die. So I pressed into sin that took me far from His presence. As a result, I become deathly ill. I cried out to Him to really live in His presence. No promises or vows to do better. It was a bit late for that now. I needed His quickening Spirit! All that mattered was to be in His sight.

Then I read from Psalms 30:9, What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?" (KJV). So I prayed, "If You let me live Lord will have a testimony! If I perish, You will lose a story of Your mercy. How You broke the back of sin in my life. How God crushed the strength of an arrogant and hateful man. And how Your love raised me from the ash heap."

At that moment, His truth pierced through the darkness in my heart and His mercy like a cool, living stream flowed into my heart bring me to life again. Five years later, I live each day on what I've called a tight rope of faith, balancing the fear of God and mercy to remain in a place of humility.

Beloved, human strength will always fail. We are the most qualified to serve God when we are at the lowest, weakest and utterly empty of offering Him anything. Those who serve God the best are those who are willing for God to break their strength. People who live a life of His weakness generates strength to live and make a difference in the lives of others.