today's Scripture: Ephesians 6:10
"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

Before we can learn the sufficiency of God's grace, we must learn the insufficiency of ourselves. As I have said, the more we see our sinfulness, the more we appreciate grace in its basic meaning of God's undeserved favor. In a similar manner, the more we see our frailty, weakness, and dependence, the more we appreciate God's grace in its dimension of his divine assistance. Just as grace shines more brilliantly against the dark background of our sin, so it also shines more brilliantly against the background of our human weakness.

Paul said in Romans 5:20: "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." In 2 Corinthians 12, he could have just as aptly said, "But where human weakness increased, grace abounded all the more." That is essentially what he said in different words in verse 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." On this Philip Hughes wrote, "Indeed, the abject weakness of the human instrument serves to magnify and throw into relief the perfection of the divine power in a way that any suggestion of human adequacy could never do. The greater the servant's weakness, the more conspicuous is the power of his Master's all-sufficient grace."

God's power infusing our weakness is a concrete expression of his grace, coming to our aid through the ministry of his Spirit in our lives. This is the mysterious operation of the Holy Spirit on our human spirit through which he strengthens us and enables us to meet in a godly fashion whatever circumstances we encounter.