How do you find strength when life feels overwhelming? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we reflect on James 4:6 and discover God's promise to give more grace to the humble. Whether you're facing illness, grief, uncertainty, or a season of suffering, God's sustaining grace is always greater than the burden you carry.

Suffering has a way of exposing our weakness, but it also reminds us where our true strength comes from. Instead of relying on ourselves or becoming consumed by our circumstances, God invites us to come to Him with humble hearts, trusting that His grace is sufficient for every challenge. As we lean on Christ, He strengthens us, deepens our faith, and draws us closer to Him—even in life's hardest seasons.

Highlights:

• Discover what James 4:6 teaches about God's abundant grace for the humble.
• Learn why humility positions us to receive God's strength during suffering.
• Be encouraged that God's grace is greater than any trial, hardship, or uncertainty.
• Understand how suffering can deepen your faith and draw you closer to Jesus.
• Find hope in knowing God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.
• Remember that you never have to carry life's burdens alone—God's sustaining grace is always available.

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Where do you need God's grace the most right now? How have you experienced His strength carrying you through a difficult season? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.

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Full Transcript Below:

Grace in Abundance Is Available 

By: Emily Rose Massey

Bible Reading:

“But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6, ESV).

One of my closest friends has been walking through a very heavy time regarding her husband’s diagnosis of MS. There are times when she opens up to me about her struggles with how it has impacted her marriage, and all I want to do is encourage her and help her carry the burden. The other day, I listened as she sobbed, and I tried my best to acknowledge the difficulty and pain, even if I couldn’t fully relate to this particular situation. To encourage her, I told her that in her repentance of complaining and repentance of discontentment in the midst of her suffering, I see so much beautiful humility and a greater trust is being formed in her. Because of that humility, we can rejoice in knowing that God has promised to give grace to the humble.

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6, ESV).

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Some of us have been called to a greater measure of suffering than others, and instead of allowing the trial to embitter us or cause us to be anxious, we can be thankful that we will be recipients of God’s great sustaining grace in a greater measure than others. Yet, to receive that sustaining grace, we must remember to come to God humbly as we learn to lean upon Him for strength and trust that He is using suffering for a purpose.

Pain and suffering are not something any of us look forward to, but while we live here in this fallen and broken world, it is inevitable. It is so easy to get caught up in the storms of our lives and lose sight of the hope that is available to us through Jesus Christ, and allow them to overtake us. Our trials are what the Lord is using to bring us closer to Him and conform us into His image. The Apostle Paul calls this “the fellowship of His suffering” (Philippians 3:10). Not only do our trials bring us closer to Christ, but they remind us that heaven is our true home and one day, our suffering will cease. 

The suffering may not disappear in this life, but the good news is that Jesus is right there with us to walk through it together, and He has promised to empower us with His grace. In the midst of the pain, the temptation is to give all of our focus to the battle we may be facing and figure out ways on either how to escape it or fix it, but the Lord is calling us to run to Him in our weakness as we realize we cannot walk through any of it on our own. Let us run to Him and fall at His feet in humility, knowing that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 

God’s grace is sufficient, and He is our ever-present help in times of need, but sometimes our actions do not reflect these truths. It’s much easier for us to either complain about our stressful, painful, and difficult circumstances or try to take matters into our own hands to try to fix or change what seems to be causing us to feel so overwhelmed. What are you walking through right now that seems to be overwhelming or stressful? Grace in abundance is available to those who ask! We must learn how to ask for grace when we have reached our limit, or when we feel like we are being crushed under the weight of our suffering. God is so faithful to provide all things that we need because He is a gracious Father who cares deeply for His children. Come to Him as His child today, boldly and humbly asking for His sustaining and powerful grace to carry you through each challenging moment. Even if this season of suffering doesn’t have an expiration date on this side of eternity, we can run to our Father and ask for His sustaining grace that is more than enough.

Further Reading:

2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Hebrews 4:16