Word for the Day
October 19
By: Evang. Cascille Hammack
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Grace is God's presence and love
through Jesus Christ. His grace administered by His Holy Spirit gives us His mercy, forgiveness and the desire and the
power to carry out His will. He gives us the ability to stand and move forward when we have no strength in
ourselves. Romans 8:11 promises, "And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living
in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
We must acknowledge with thanksgiving to Him, that this power is of Him and not of ourselves.
Acts 17:8 explains, "'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'
As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.' " 2 Cor. 4:7 says, "But we have this treasure
in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Although we are the Lord's
beloved children, we will still experience sadness, tears, troubles, perplexities, weakness and fear in this life.
Yet because of the heavenly "treasure" of His Holy Spirit who lives in us, we are not defeated. We have
His divine power manifested in our weakness, as we are "jars of clay". God's grace is a force. It is
His strength given to those who call on Him.
The
greater our weakness and trials for Christ, the more grace God will give to accomplish His will. What He gives is always
sufficient for us to live, work for Him and endure our sufferings and "thorns" in the flesh. In every affliction
we are more than conquerors by God's power and love (Romans 8:37). Our weakness, trouble and suffering open us up to
His grace and allows His life to be revealed in our bodies.
2 Cor. 12:9, Jesus explained, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
My power is made perfect in weakness." Verse 10 says, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."