Have you heard?

OUR strength is often what we call willpower or the desire to act one way when the other is the choice we make most often. The truth be told, our ability or talent is way too over-estimated, and our strength is way too small. Proverbs 24:10 reminds us, "If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small."

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

God's strength is for the weary and the weak. Not sure if I should admit this or not, but that is me! It is not for those who have everything perfect or under control in their lives. It is for those who aren't perfect, who know they have issues, and desire to have something be different in the choices they make. The promise is for power when we are weak, strength when we are powerless, and even new strength when we exhaust all the strength we seem to have had.

Weakness isn't an admission of failure, like some may think, but rather an acknowledgement of awareness of just how much we need God's help in our lives. We are acknowledging that without God's help, things aren't going to go very well! When pressure mounts and life events seem to bring a load of something crashing down on us, we can either muddle through the best we can, or we can stop and lean into God for his power. 

We aren't admitting we are inept, or even that we are not willing to make an attempt. We are admitting that we lack the knowledge God possesses and that without his help, we will likely fall short of what we could do when we are backed with his potential and power. Even youths become weak and tired. That statement pretty well wraps it up for us. It isn't about natural ability or talent - it is about the depth of our trust and the placement of that trust. It could be we trust way too much in our own ability/talent and not quite enough in God's power and strength. Just sayin!