Not Your Strength
Take a minute to ask yourself why you are reading this article. How are you able to find this gospel? Putting in a lot of effort to stay with God? But how many times did you wish for communion with the Lord, prayed for fellowship, and still found it hard to dwell in His presence? Fellowshipping with God happens after our spirit is stirred up for Him. The stirring up is purely by the Holy Spirit working in us to obey God’s call [Philippians 2:13]. Our will and strength cannot suffice to make us desire His sweet presence. God Himself puts us in a position to access the gospel even on days we are not seeking Him [Isaiah 65:1]. Sometimes it’s a friend praying over you, a scripture you read, a testimony about Jesus, all which can open rivers of living waters in a barren heart.
"Our will and strength cannot suffice to make us desire His sweet presence. God Himself puts us in a position to access the gospel even on days we are not seeking Him "
His grace brought us to Him. Only it can keep us there. Grace implies the great favor of God which our works would not deserve and is solely based on Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. The sacrifice makes us worthy of God’s blessings which our works can never merit [Galatians 3:10]. Our relationship with God is in the first place secured by the blood of Christ on the cross [Ephesians 2:8], where God reconciled us to Himself in the person of Christ [2 Corinthians 5:18]. The transformation to have a mind like Christ and stay with God as we navigate the day-to-day challenges of life can in no way be handled by our own strength. Apostle Paul is a perfect example of a transformed life, steadfast amidst tribulation, and full of God’s power. Yet he pointed out that all he did was to display his weaknesses to God and call relentlessly upon God’s grace of power and wisdom to win his life’s battles [2 Corinthians12:9; Zechariah 4:6]. At times we can find ourselves in a serious trial or temptation, a depression that feels insurmountable, bondage of sin or any other snare from the devil and the only way that we can overcome and stand firm is to lean on His grace [2 Corinthians 4:8-11].
"Grace implies the great favor of God which our works would not deserve and is solely based on Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf."
Does dependence upon God’s grace imply being careless, uninvolved Christians in the battles? No, but the contrary which is to surrender to God’s guidance and will. God has always chosen to involve man in His plans by giving him wisdom and strength so that he can walk in His ways [Psalm 32:8]. We must fall on our faces and ask for the grace to let God take the wheel of our lives through obedience. Through obedience our heart posture changes and allows the Spirit of God to position us as He wills. This can be a position of prayer, a position to acquire knowledge and wisdom of God, or any other that works for the glory of God. And we will come to realize that choosing surrender means choosing victory. We will stand in awe of how God will fight our battles for His glory [2 Chronicles 20:15].
As we walk this life aspiring to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ [2 Thessalonians 2:14], the Spirit of God reminds us that we have been adopted as children of our glorious Father through faith in Jesus. We now have access to His throne of grace so that we may find mercy and grace in times of need. His grace is what makes us stand today and always will. Amen.
"We must fall on our faces and ask for the grace to let God take the wheel of our lives through obedience. Through obedience our heart posture changes and allows the Spirit of God to position us as He wills...And we will come to realize that choosing surrender means choosing victory."
