There’s No Way I Could Overcome This In My Own Strength…
My family had this really hard, scary thing happen the other day. We will be ok, but man…it is sticking with me. In random moments I just start crying and have to close my eyes and shake my head…and remind myself that everything God has given us really does have purpose. He also gives comfort when the purpose is hard to see…
I’m engaged in all these books on some level right now. Whether it’s for school, ministry, or something I’m just needing help in my life. This is not all…there’s more upstairs in my prayer room and some I pull randomly from that shelf in the background. They are all so good!!!! I love books and learning!
You know what though…when it comes down to knowing what to do with this thing…those books on the right, no matter how well written it is, will give me absolutely nothing in comparison to what that stack on the left will.
We live in a world that keeps telling us how to fix things, or win, or crush…or even overcome on some temporary level but we don’t really know what that means if all we are reading is the other books…as valuable as they may be, they cannot teach us what it truly means to overcome. Let’s look at Roman’s 8…
“Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
“Just as it is written and forever remains written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE REGARDED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.” [Ps 44:22]”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].
For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:35, 37-39 AMP
Here Paul quotes Psalm 44:22, emphasizing that God’s people may genuinely experience suffering. Commentary says, “These words are actually stronger than simply “winning” in life. Paul is saying that even in the midst of things that look like defeat—suffering, persecution, loss, danger, and death—the believer’s relationship with Christ cannot ultimately be overcome.”
IOW…This DOES NOT MEAN that when we are in Christ everything goes exactly as planned. It DOES MEAN that when we experience the fallenness of this world through sin, sickness, or sudden shock that we can only remain steadfast because of His unending love.
That passage is not a puff piece to make us feel good about what we’ve done. It is about us knowing Him, and believing Him to be enough.
I wonder if we stop trying to “crush” and “overcome” in our own power…and stop trying to tell the Lord what to do, but come to Him in complete weakness, telling Him we just don’t know what to do with this thing…we might be open to His movement. In that humble, hands open confession, we might just find Him there showing us wondrous things that we could not know perched on top of all our mighty man made books and claims of how “strong” we’ve been.
I’m not strong. I’m the furthest thing from it. There’s no way I can overcome this on my own strength. But I’m His and He is mine…and I’m so extremely grateful to be weak in His presence!
“The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will. And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” Rom 8:26-28
“‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’” Jeremiah 33:3
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