THE STRENGTH OF SPIRIT
“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” Proverbs 18:14 NKJV
Crisis does not necessarily build us; rather, it exposes what already lies within us, for it gives us the opportunity to respond out of who we are.
Our theme scripture highlights the sustaining power of the human spirit. Some translations put it this way: “The will to live can sustain a man in difficult times, but depression crushes courage and leaves no will to hope.” The lowest place a person can descend is not simply sickness or hardship, but the loss of hope itself.
Hope, rooted in the Spirit of God, is what carries us when life presses hard against us. A strong spirit does not deny pain but leans on God through it. When the storms come, it is the Word of God, prayer, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that fortify the heart. Without these, a man may find himself utterly broken within, unable to rise even if his body still stands.
But in Christ, even the crushed spirit finds restoration. For the One who “will not break a bruised reed” (Isaiah 42:3) is faithful to breathe life into us again. Where despair once ruled, His Spirit revives courage and renews hope.
Prayer: My Father, I thank you for the strength you endue my spirits with. It is by Your Word and Your presence that this strength grows. Guard me from despair, and when I feel weak within, breathe Your life into me. Teach me to anchor my hope in You, that I may endure every trial with a heart sustained by Your Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Psalm 34:18
• Romans 15:13
• Micah 7:8
