I had a dream this week that has stayed with me as a comfort and encouragement. In the dream, I was a little girl standing in a giant cave with lots of people milling around. To get out of the cave, I had to climb a steep dirt slope, and I was exhausted. I flopped down on the ground, giving up any chance of ascending. A big, burly man walked up behind me, and lifted me up into his arms gently. After adjusting my weight a little, he started to climb the path out of the cave. Upon reaching the top of the slope, he gently laid me down on the ground. I didn’t even have the energy to acknowledge my gratitude for his help, but simply rolled over to go to sleep right in the middle of the dirt. My favorite part of the dream was that the man chuckled softly, tickled that I would just go right to sleep there.
As I have thought more about this, I keep getting more and more insight into what God tells us in His being our strength in weakness. We don’t have to know how to ask for help, or even be able to. God knows we need help before we do sometimes! Some of the very things that seem like they will be the end of us are an incredibly great portal for His strength to be displayed in us. We don’t need to be afraid of those weaknesses or hide them. Instead, we glorify our kind Father as He lifts us up through them.
We don’t need to know how to thank Him for His carrying us. He is happy to do it and enjoying us in our childlikeness. I cried when I thought of his chuckle in the dream. He wasn’t annoyed with my being a child or expecting accolades or responses. Instead, he thought it was really cute that I was so trusting to just roll over and go to sleep. Did you know that God thinks you’re pretty great? He enjoys you! This isn’t just a love that tolerates us as messy people, but He understands that we don’t know what we are doing most of the time. He calls us sheep, reminding us that we need a Shepherd, and are totally lost without one!
I have spoken to so many people this week who are in what feels like an impossible situation to them. Some of these circumstances feel insurmountable, and they just want to give up. I get that feeling. But instead of giving up, what if we entrust ourselves and our situations to our gentle God who is happy to hoist us up in His arms and get us up the slope, allowing us to rest and providing all we need for the circumstance.
I think this is why Paul talks about being able to do ALL things through Christ. There is no limitation to God’s power in and through you. Nothing is impossible. No difficulty is too much for Christ’s explosive power which is already present within you. You don’t have to do a rain dance or ask a certain way, or even know what words to use. Instead, you acknowledge your lack, and ask Him to be enough. Sometimes that prayer looks a lot like, “Jesus, HELP!” In some ways, I think that has become my most profound prayer because I’m not even trying to dictate how He helps. I am desperate and know I need Him.
Today with whatever difficulty you face, flop down on the ground acknowledging your lack of strength. And pray the simple prayer of “Jesus, help!” waiting to see how His explosive power will infuse you to conquer anything.
I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty. Philippians 4:12-13
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about Strength in Weakness — Broken & Hopeful.
