August 6, 2022 8:00 pm
Once known as the World’s Strongest Man, American weightlifter Paul Anderson set a world record in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, despite a severe inner-ear infection and a 103-degree fever. Falling behind frontrunners, his only chance for a gold medal was to set a new Olympic record in his last event. His first two attempts failed badly.
So the burly athlete did what even the weakest among us can do. He called on God for extra strength, letting go of his own. As he later said, “It wasn’t making a bargain. I needed help.” With his final lift, he hoisted 413.5 pounds (187.5 kg) over his head.
Another Paul, the apostle of Christ, wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul was speaking of spiritual strength, but he knew that God’s power was “made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).
As the prophet Isaiah declared, “[The Lord] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29).
The path to such strength? Abiding in Jesus. “Apart from me you can do nothing,” He said (John 15:5). As weightlifter Anderson often said, “If the strongest man in the world can’t get through one day without the power of Jesus Christ—where does that leave you?” To find out, we can release our dependence on our own illusive strength, asking God for His strong and prevailing help.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Strength to Let Go, was written by Patricia Rabin. Once known as the world's strongest man, American weightlifter Paul Anderson set a world record at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, despite a severe inner ear infection and a 103-degree fever. Falling behind frontrunners, his only chance for a gold medal was to set a new Olympic record in his last event.
His first two attempts failed badly. So the burly athlete did what even the weakest among us can do. He called on God for extra strength, letting go of his own.
As he later said, It wasn't making a bargain. I needed help. With his final lift, he hoisted 413.5 pounds, or 187.5 kilograms, over his head. Paul, the apostle of Christ, wrote in 2 Corinthians 12, When I am weak, then I am strong. Paul was speaking of spiritual strength, but he knew that God's power was made perfect in weakness. As the prophet Isaiah declared in Isaiah 40, the Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. What was the path to such strength? Abiding in Jesus.
Apart from me, you can do nothing, he said in John 15. As weightlifter Anderson often said, If the strongest man in the world can't get through one day without the power of Jesus Christ, where does that leave you? To find out, we can release our dependence on our own elusive strength, asking God for his strong and prevailing help. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 40 verses 28 through 31. Do you not know?
Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint. Let's pray. All-powerful God, our life's burdens can feel heavy and overwhelming, but abiding in you gives us your supernatural strength to carry on and overcome. Thank you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Joyce Dinkins, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-03-15 01:31:07 / 2023-03-15 01:32:36 / 1
