Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love

Today’s devotional is on acknowledging our powerlessness. We all have those places in our lives that we are powerless. We cannot heal ourselves and every time we try we get discouraged. But we have to start simply by admitting that we can’t cure ourselves in order for God to heal us. That means surrendering to God’s action in us and letting go of our desire to control and that takes trust. The more we relinquish our need to maintain power the more we will get in touch with Him who has the power to heal and guide us. As we get in touch with that divine power, it becomes easier to confess to ourselves and others our basic powerlessness. If we run from where much we have received we are though and distract ourselves, we can’t let ourselves be healed.  Let us picture ourselves as a seed that flourishes by staying in the ground in which it is sown. When we dig up the seed to check if it is growing, it will never bear fruit.  Instead we need to stay there and trust that the soil contains everything we need to grow. This growth takes place even when we don’t feel it. Let us be quiet, acknowledge our powerlessness, and have faith that one day we will know how.