Strength Made Perfect in Weakness
It is not until we reach the end of our own strength that we begin to realize the strength of God. As long as we have confidence in ourselves we fail to see our need of outside help, therefore the Lord does not help us; but when we acknowledge the failure of our own efforts and come to God all weak and broken down, distrustful of ourselves, and realizing our need of divine help, then it is that Christ becomes a source of strength to us. It is thus that his “strength is made perfect in [or through our] weakness.” The cry of the poor publican, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” was what brought salvation to his soul. There is nothing so strong with God as our very weakness, yet nothing so weak in his sight as our own strength. If there is such a thing as death-bed conversion it is because the individual is brought to the point where he recognizes this fact, and is ready to cry out like Peter, “Save, Lord, or I perish.”