Finding Strength in Your Weakness - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - April 24, 2026
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. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Each move I made resulted in intense pain, especially getting in and out of bed. I couldn’t help but scream. I tried to continue working from my bed. I even did Zoom meetings there. I wanted the pain to end and to walk again, without the cane.
One day, I was totally frustrated, and I asked God, “Where is Your grace?”
His silence prevailed, but shortly, I felt a momentary rest from the pain. I knew it was my answer.
I prayed for relief from the pain but not for strength. On my darkest days, when I agonized in despair, I thought strength was impossible.
If you are going through a difficult season right now, my friend, you might feel like I did. You may feel that grace is rare and strength is beyond your imagination, but may I remind you that our Father is the God who can do exceedingly above all we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:20)? I know I needed someone to remind me of that truth when I wrestled with doubt.
Our focal verse comes from a passage in which the apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. Now the Bible doesn’t tell us what that thorn was, and I’m glad, because it can be my thorn, or it can be your thorn too. Paul prayed, asking God to remove the thorn, just like we pray for the suffering to end. God told Paul “No!” three separate times, but the last time, God spoke our focal verse. He told Paul that He would not remove the thorn, but He would give him grace sufficient to handle it.
That’s exciting, isn’t it? God’s grace is enough, but in our excitement, we forget the remainder of the verse.
Let’s unpack that now. God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. Have you tried everything you could to fix your situation? I tried to walk and do as much as I could until I couldn’t stand the pain. I searched the internet for answers. I put hope in my doctors.
I’m sure you have exerted all your strength in looking for a solution. We pray for the answers to come and the breakthrough to happen. We ask God to heal, but we try as hard as we can to fix it.
It is in our weakness that God’s strength prevails. A point comes when we need to say, “I can do nothing without You, Lord.”
Jesus told us that in John 15:5 (NIV),
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.
We will stop looking at our failed attempts and plans that didn’t work out. We place our eyes on the blessings God has given us. We look for His strength in our weakness.
Here’s an example of what that looks like. One night, I had made it to the kitchen for a drink, but when I tried to get out of the chair, pain held me firmly in place. I rolled the chair to the doorway, where I gripped the door frame with my hands and pulled myself up.
As I stood there, I wondered what I would do next. I prayed, asking God to help me take one step. Then I took that step, and I praised Him.
If we continue to focus on our weaknesses, we aren’t focusing on Christ. Our eyes must be on Him so we can see His power at work in our weakness.
Friend, you can read these Scriptures in 2 Corinthians chapter twelve today. What blessings can you give God thanks for? After a time of gratitude, reflect on what you need. Express that to God. He is a loving Father who wants you to communicate with Him.
I know how hard it is not to concentrate on your weaknesses and what you need, but make sure you take time to focus on Christ, not the crisis. That does our hearts good when we do that.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness. I am struggling today, and all I see is my inability to change things, but God, You are able. Help me see Your strength in my life. Help me have the attitude of the apostle Paul. Amen.
Carolyn Dale Newell is a best-selling author and certified speaker. She knows the bitter taste of suffering from blindness to chronic pain. Her passion is to encourage women to keep their eyes on Jesus and not their circumstances in her devotional, Embers of Endurance: Rising Above Chronic Pain and Illness. You can connect with Carolyn on her website and her women’s ministry group on Facebook.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
