Zechariah 4:6
2nd Corinthians 12:7-10
Philippians 4:13
Topic- Jesus Christ, our strength in weakness
All of us, whether we want to admit it our not, has some weakness of some sort. Some of us may be weak when it comes to food, in that whenever we find ourselves hungry, we will try to eat up everything in sight. Some of us may be weak when it comes to alcohol or drugs, in that, whenever we find ourselves being offered some, we don’t have the urge to say no. Some of us may be weak when it comes to controlling our anger , in that, when somebody say something or do something that we don’t like, we want to haul off and hit them in the mouth, or cuss them out. Some of us are weak when it comes to handling our money, in that when we get our paycheck from our job, instead of using it to pay our tithes, instead of paying our bills, and providing for our families, we go out to the casinos and gamble our money away, or buy something that we really don’t need, and max up or credit cards. And last but not least, some of us are weak when it comes to women or men, in that, you feel like you have to sleep with every woman or man just to feel satisfied.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we even have some weakness in some of our churches. Instead of loving and praying for one another, we find ourselves fighting and fussing with one another. Instead of forgiving one another, we find ourselves being bitter and hating one another. Instead of being obedient to the pastor, we find ourselves working against the pastor. Instead of being happy when somebody get blessed, we find ourselves being jealous and envious. Instead of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, we find ourselves spreading malicious gossip about each other
Yes, all of us have some weakness of some sort. The bible does say in Matthew 26:41 that we must watch and pray that we enter not into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” No matter how smart you may think you are, no matter how much money that you may have in your pocket or in the bank, no matter how many degrees you may have earned, no matter how long you have been in church, and no matter what you may have done in the church, you still have some weakness in your life that you have to deal with . But the good thing is that you don’t have to let your weakness get the best of you. You don’t have to let your shortcomings get the best of you. You don’t have to let your faults, your bad habits, or your personal issues get the best of you because there is someone who can help your over come your weakness. There is someone who is able to help you to overcome your shortcomings. There is someone who can help you over come your faults, your bad habits, and your personal issues. And that someone is Jesus Christ, who is our strength to help us overcome our weakness, our shortcomings, our faults, bad habits, and our personal issues.
Exodus 15:2 says, “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
2 Samual 22:33 says, “God is my strength and power and he maketh my way perfect.”
Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid.”
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 118:14 says, “The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2 says, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation..
Now the question is asked, “How do I make Jesus Christ my strength ?
Well, first of all you must learn how trust and wait upon the Lord.
Psalm 27;14 says, “Wait upon the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold there with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 26:4 says, “Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”
Now when you have Jesus Christ as your strength in weakness, you can say Philippians 4:13 with confidence where it say, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me”
That is, through Christ, I can find strength to love my enemies, and to love one another because it is Christ who strengthens me
Through Christ, I can find strength to forgive those who hurt me because it is Christ who strengthens me
Through Christ, I can have peace in the midst of a storm because it is Christ who strengthens me
Through Christ, I can have joy in the midst of sorrow because it is Christ who strengthens me
Through Christ, I can testify about the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ because it is Christ who strengthens me.
Through Christ, I can overcome those who lie on me, despitefully use me, slander my name, or spread malicious rumors about me because it is Christ who strengthens me.
Through Christ, I can over come any addiction, any faults, any bad habit, or any personal issues because it is Christ who strengthens me
Through Christ, I can support my church and my pastor, because it is Christ who strengthens me.
Through Christ, I can reach my goals, and achieve my dreams because it is Christ who strengthens me
Oh yes, through Christ we can do all things because it is He who gives us the strength to do all things, for Greater is He that is in you than he that he is in the world. No matter what you may be going through just know that you are going to make it because it is Christ that strengthens us.
Zachariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts.
You see Christ Jesus strengthens us by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 3:14-16, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of who the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
When you are strengthen by the Holy Spirit in the inner man, you have power to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus for the bible says in Acts I:8 that “you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost come upon you and you shall be my witnesses unto me in Jerusalam, in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound mind.”
Not only do we need the Holy Spirit to strengthens us, but we also need God’s grace to strengthen us. The Apostle Paul says that He prayed to God three times to take away the thorn that was bothering him in his flesh. But God said to Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
You see, it is God’s grace that gives the strength to go in the name of the Lord despite of the circumstances we may go through
It is God’s grace that gives us the strength to go in the name of the Lord when you are going through the storm.
It is God’s grace that gives us the strength to go in the name of the Lord when your friends forsake you
It is God’s grace that gives us strength to go in the name of the Lord when you are faced with life’s trail, tribulation, and tragedies.
It is God’s grace that gives us strength to go in the name of the Lord when people are talking about you, falsely accussing you, and spreading malicious gossip about you.
It is God’s grace that gives you strength to go in the name of the Lord even when you are in pain, even it seems like all hope is lost, and you cant seem to find your way
No matter what you may be going through, just know that you can find strength in the Lord to move on with your life, to receive the blessings that He has for you, and to claim the victory over your weakness.
