POWER PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS
BREAD
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 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. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NIV)
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)
3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4 (NIV)
20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)
12 “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’” 17 “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 29 The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. 2 Chronicles 20:12, 15, 17, 22, 29-30 (NIV)
17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
33 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. 2 Samuel 22:33-34 (NIV)
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. Psalm 18:1 (NIV)
BUTTER
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevaling. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.” Martin Luther
“Our strength is discovered in our dependency upon the One Who spoke the world into being and Who loves us with an everlasting love. It is His all sufficient power and not our weak strength we are to lean upon. The horse is made ready for battle but victory rests with the Lord.” BHY
“There is in Him an all-sufficiency of grace and strength; all our springs are in Him, and all our streams are from Him.” Matthew Henry
“Prayer is not so much a formula as it is a friendship – rote as it is relational. Prayer is a 24/7 access to ‘Abba’ (Daddy) Father Who loves us with an everlasting love as well as Who rejoices over us with singing. Further, He ‘brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing.’ He is all love and all ability – all achieving power – nothing is too hard for Him. Prayer is coming into His Presence with singing and into His courts with praise. It is listening with Faith for His ‘still, small voice’ as well as pouring out our hearts in Trust resting our heads gently ‘between His shoulders’. It is knowing His answer always has our best interest at heart because He loves us. It is an unspeakably high gift from the Creator to the created. Prayers moves the hand and heart of God.” BHY
“God has as a strong reserve with which to discharge this engagement; for He is able to do all things. Believer, until you can drain the ocean dry of omnipotence and break the towering mountains of almighty strength into pieces, you never need to be afraid. Don’t think that the strength of a human being shall ever be able to overcome the power of God. As long as the earth’s huge pillars stand, you have enough reason to remain firm in your faith. The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply you with daily strength. While He is able to uphold the universe, don’t even dream that He will prove unable to fulfill His own promises. Remember what He did in ages past, in the former generations. Remember how He spoke, and it was done; how He commanded, and it stood fast. Shall He that created the world grow weary? He hangs the world upon nothing; shall He who does this be unable to support His children? Shall He be unfaithful to His word for want of power? Who is it that restrains the tempest? Doesn’t He ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds His chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of His hand? How can He fail you? When He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, will you for a moment indulge the thought that He has out promised Himself, and gone beyond his power to fulfill? Ah, no! You cannot doubt any longer.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“And He looks you right in the eye & whispers: You have enough of Me & courage to do this hard thing. You have enough of Me & strength to not give up. You have enough of Me & love to keep on giving. You have enough of Me & peace to know that you are carried. You have enough of Me to simply rest. You have enough of Me — and I am enough. You are enough — because the great I AM is in you…and with you… and for you. And that alone is completely enough.” Ann Voskamp
“Strengthen me Lord according to Your glorious might. Give me great endurance and patience and joy so that I may walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. May I please You in all that I say and do. You alone are faithful to keep me from falling and to equip me for this so great an endeavor. May I, through Your great power, leave the aroma of sweet Jesus in my every encounter that I may change my sphere by bringing Your Presence to every circumstance You present me with today. Always for your glory alone and my good.” BHY
HEART SAVOR
• God’s grace is sufficient for me as His power is made perfect in my weakness.
• God will never fail me nor forsake me.
• In Him is all-sufficiency of grace and strength.
Beth Yoe's Sharing Bread 