Day 74 - Issue 42
Playback speed
1 Timothy 1:12
'I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work.'
I seem to be surrounded at the moment by people telling me how tired they are. Perhaps it’s just the effect that I have on them! But the truth is that however you are feeling right now, there are limits to our strength. Paul had an extremely busy ministry and he was fully aware that he needed God’s special strength for the work that he had to do. This verse reminds us of Paul’s words to the Philippians: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). That’s a bold claim, but clearly it was Paul’s personal experience as he faced up to continual resistance and challenges in his ministry. Few Christian leaders have faced the range of trials and difficulties that he did. He was confronted by violent opposition on many occasions, endured years of imprisonment, suffered three shipwrecks and was constantly exposed to abuse and danger. When he talks about God giving him strength, he is worth listening to!
There can be no doubt of God’s ability to give us the strength that we need. But he can only give us his strength if we are humble enough to receive it. The trouble is that we will always be tempted to think we can cope by ourselves. We look at our experience and gifts and imagine that we have all the resources we need to keep going. But the truth is that our own resources are incredibly limited. We need to ensure we are leaning on God’s strength from the start.
St Augustine said: “For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.” That is to say, God wants us to know how completely we depend upon him and, as we do so, he gives all the strength we need to be effective and strong in his service.
Question: In what ways have you experienced God giving you strength?
Prayer: Loving Father, thank you that you understand me so well. Thank you that you are able to give me the strength I need to face every new challenge. Amen
Released on 23 Sep 2022
Coming up next
Day 75 - Issus 42
1 Timothy 1:16 'God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realise that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.' The apostle Pau...
Day 76 - Issue 42
1 Timothy 2:1 'I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.' Although the number of people who attend church services is constantly shrinking, it is very ...
Day 77 - Issue 42
1 Timothy 2:8 'In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.' Lifting up hands in worship has happened for thousands of years. The psalmists often referred to it. In Psalm 63:...