“NO EXCUSES! MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN YOUR WEAKNESS!”

A Word by Jo Ellen Stevens

Several years ago God said to me…” Your job is to let people see that I can still use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise 🙂 That way they know that they don’t have to be all that for me to use them! They are all that to me, and that is all that matters! Tell them..” In their weakness my strength is made perfect! So relax trying to be something or someone you are not! You are unique and you are my child! That is really all you have to be, otherwise let Me be Me in and through your uniqueness!

IT’S NOT BY MIGHT NOR POWER BUT BY MY SPIRIT!

God will never give you something to do that you can accomplish in your own power, wisdom, or might! He always gives you something to do that it takes His strength and our dependence upon Him to do it! We all have been given gifts and talents as a part of our earth suit package to accomplish what He has called us to do, but even those things all come from God. So we have no reason to boast in our own abilities nor should we hide in our cave because we feel that we are not capable. God has given us all things that pertain to this life to get done what we are still here to do.

I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH LORD!

I said to the Lord once after He called me into a season of going out singing in the community. I said, “I am not like this one and don’t sound like that one and I am just not able” and so on and so forth. I told him I had no music equipment and no money to buy any, (sound familiar?) He immediately said to me. “Hush talking about the gifts I died and paid for to give you! They are uniquely fitted to you to reach those that I have called you to reach! Some are for a season, for a purpose, but whatever I gift you with and anoint you for, for the moment, you must use with a total dependence on Me! You must not get haughty about your gift or even think that it is not me that works in you to will and do of My good pleasure, neither can you say, I can’t do this for I have left you and equipped you and there is no excuse but to know that, You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!” Oh and by the way…Within a week someone gave us the money to buy the music equipment!” This person that brought the money had no idea that I had this conversation with God! He has said to me since then this little phrase “WHAT I DECIDE FOR, I PROVIDE FOR!” So, there is truly NO EXCUSES! It truly is time to trust Him with your life and know that He will equip you, gift you, and give you all you need to do what He has called you to!”

THE TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO DID GREAT THINGS!

Now if my testimonies aren’t enough, think about some of the men and women of the Bible and how God used the fact that they were weak. Many of them were just like you and I . They made excuses! Moses said he had a speech impediment, Gideon said he was the least of the least in His tribe and God called him a mighty man of valor! David was a murderer and God used Him to win many battles and called him a man after God’s own heart. Rahab was a harlot and God used her to save the spies alive and is in the lineage of Jesus! Mary was a teenage girl in a Man’s world and God picked her to bring forth the Messiah! These were men and women who were flesh and blood just like you but they were called and God chose to equip them with supernatural strength from on High! So, what is God calling you to do right now? He is saying….”NO EXCUSES! Just do it!” I will equip you, and give you all you need to do all that I have called you to! I will equip you, gift you and give you all that heaven has to do the job that I filled you with My Spirit to do!! You are my ambassadors, will the King of Heaven not give you all that you need to bring kingdom business to the earth? Of course! It is why I died and left the Holy Spirit to indwell you!”

PAUL’S THORN BECAME A PLACE OF POWER IN HIS WEAKNESS!

Paul the Apostle went to God three times to ask Him to take the thorn in His flesh away. It is my belief that this thorn was something Satan plagued him with to let Him know that He was not able to do the will of the Lord! But God used this for another reason! Whatever that was for Paul, I have no idea, but all of us have one or two! We could all give him our excuse for why he needs to deliver us from ourselves and the devil to do our job, but Paul said, the thorn was given so that he would not be exalted above measure because of the revelation that he was getting. Yes some of us could be disqualified for getting puffed up over our revelation and that could be our weakness but truly God has a way of saving us from ourselves! So what God was telling Paul is that, at the point of your need for me is where you will find my strength!! In your weakness surely you will find your strength! So no excuses Paul! No excuses my brother’s and sisters! No matter what your weakness is, it is at that point that we should go to God and find that we are totally dependent on Him and His strength and whatever that takes for us to see that, He will allow it, not because he doesn’t love us but because He does…… No Excuses!

COMING TO THE END OF YOUR STRENGTH, YOU WILL FIND HIS AND SEE HIS GLORY!

2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMPC) “But He said to me, My grace My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in your weakness.Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! When you come to a place that you are not ashamed that you are dependent on the Lord for all things then His glory and strength and might will come on you because in the end….only He will be glorified!

Jo Ellen Stevens

http://dstevens7.wixsite.com/tcic