Strength in Weakness
There is a chorus we used to sing as kids that goes like this: - “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.” You are probably familiar with it.
Of course when we sing it, do we really pay attention to the meaning of the words. Something to think about.
I thought this would be a fitting start to this morning’s message.
In the advance reading for today, you would have read the story of Gideon, who God called to defeat the Midianite army.
When God called him, his response was this, from Judges 6 - “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
God’s response was – “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
You might remember the rest of the story with the fleece Gideon put out to get proof it was actually God speaking. Following that, God then pared down his rag tag group to 300 men to rout the Midianites.
As we can see in the life of Gideon, and many others throughout Scripture, God frequently calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Clear cut evidence of strength in weakness.
When we look at how God used Gideon we can perhaps learn that God can use us as well.
Gideon learned in short order that the “battle is the Lord’s”… the same message that David said to Goliath just before taking him out with a sling shot.
So … we can apply these following principles of weakness, taken from Gideon’s account, to us directly:
that God sees potential in every one of His own; that we are encouraged to ask God for clarification, when He challenges us; and when the Lord calls us He calls us to work to His plan, not ours … something we so readily forget. We will come back to these.
Having opened with that, I want to next deal Pauls take on strength in weakness, which we heard about in our Scripture reading.
Questions to consider then are these … what are the weaknesses Paul writes about? Second, what is the source of weaknesses; and third, what is the purpose of weakness.
First then, what are the weaknesses Paul writes about.
in verse 9 of our Scripture reading, here is what God had to say - "My power is made perfect in weakness" And Paul says, "I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses"? Then in verse 10 he says - "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses." That will make more sense in a minute.
In the end, he lists a number of annoying things such as insults, hardships, persecutions and so on. So, Paul is not talking about making bad choices. From that then we learn that weaknesses are not about bad behavior.
weaknesses are circumstances, situations and experiences that beset us and make us look weak; things we would probably get rid of on our own if we had the human ability. But we do not have the ability.
So the answer to the first question is that weaknesses are not sins but experiences and situations and circumstances that are hard to bear, that we can't remove on our own, because they are beyond our control. Yet they bring us down just the same.
So, what is the source of our weaknesses? Is it all God’s fault or Satan’s fault or both?
Well, consider Paul’s example of the thorn in his flesh. He describes it as a revelation of God’s glory … in short … to keep him from getting high on himself, so to speak.
It would have been easy for Paul because he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was highly educated and ranked high in society.
So Paul refers to this thorn in the side as a messenger of Satan. Based on that then, we know that some weaknesses are direct from Satan and his demons, as permitted by God.
But it is not that simple. Satan is not the only one at work here. Believe it or not, God is also at work. This thorn is not just the work of Satan to destroy. It is the work of God to save.
We know this because Paul describes the purpose for the thorn in terms of preventing pride.
Satan's whole design is to produce pride not prevent it. Satan wanted to make Paul miserable and turn him away from the faith. But God wanted to make Paul humble and turn him away from self-exaltation. So God appointed the thorn of Satan for the work of salvation.
Just like it was with Job—God permits Satan to afflict his righteous servants, and turns the affliction for his good purposes.
So, what is the purpose of weakness then, other than the obvious? Paul draws our attention to three things.
First, Satan’s mission in life is to buffet you or harass you. So it is OK to pray for relief. God does not delight in our suffering, but sometimes allows it to teach us surrender.
Second, God's purpose is to bring about humility. Paul was in danger of pride and self-exaltation so God took steps to keep him humble.
He will give us mountain top experiences, then bring us through anguish of soul just in case we think that we have risen above the need for total reliance on Him.
And third … as I already alluded to … God's purpose is to glorify the grace and power of his Son. God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
The lesson is that God will not get rid of all our weaknesses; but will give us strength to endure and even rejoice in tribulation.
John Piper of Desiring God.Org, wrote this about Strength in Weakness – “The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of God’s greatest purpose.”
what then should we remember as we move forward, which brings me to these last three points, which I actually began with.
First, God sees potential in every one of His own, His servants, which we are as believers in Jesus Christ. Second, we are encouraged to ask God for clarification, when He challenges us; and last, the Lord calls us to work to His plan, not ours.
Remember that God saw potential in Gideon, even though Gideon’s self confidence was severely lacking in substance. I don’t think he had much self esteem either. How did he respond?
“…my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least …”
Next … God did not get annoyed with him when he asked for proof that in fact it was the angel of the Lord speaking to him. God did exactly what Gideon asked to provide solid evidence.
And … God had the plan how Gideon would defeat the Midianite army, and you would have read about how his rag tag team got pared down to 300 men in the end, and the instructions they were provided on how to put the fear of God in the enemies.
What about you and me then?
Well … we know because we have heard and seen evidence of the fact that God in fact does see potential in everyone. We also find it easy to admit or confess to the evidence that God sees potential in someone else, but we find difficulty confessing to the fact that He sees potential in us personally.
Why is that? I would offer that it is a faith issue and only by asking for more faith, as Paul did on a number of occasions will we become stronger and will see and hear the voice of God.
Having said that, it is this next step that many Christians have difficulty with. I have heard solid Bible believing and preaching Christians say that we should just accept what God sends our way, without question. WRONG!
Eventually yes … but when it first comes our way … ask about it … verify that it is exactly of God … maybe it is not. It is not always that obvious.
The apostle Paul did. Are you better than Paul? Not likely. However, when the Lord answered Paul, then came the time to accept things as they are.
In many places in Scripture we are told to challenge things. The one I like the best is the writing of John in 1 John 4, beginning at verse 1:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
This is what John is saying. Do not take every one’s word for it that they are of God and doing God’s work. There are many-a-charlatan out there who would have you believe all sorts of things, then when things don’t pan out, they blame it on your lack of faith.
Test the spirits. If you think you are hearing the voice of God, make sure you are. if you are not one hundred percent clear. He will make it crystal clear.
Doubts and questions don’t bother God. During his earthly ministry our Lord encouraged a reasoning faith.
He does not want quick, flippant decisions to follow him. Jesus never called for blind faith.
Consider His words found in Luke 14 when Christ talks about building a tower and the first step is counting the cost.
Or Matthew 13 in His parable of the sower. It is not just about receiving the word, but understanding, and one cannot understand if one does not ask.
Finally this one.
I know a lot of people like to think they are smarter than God and know a better way to get the job done, but Christians must be very conscious of the fact that when God has a plan and calls us to engage with Him, it is His plan that rules.
Having said that, there are things that can get in the way of God’s plan.
consider the fact that there may be personal issues getting in the way of God calling you to engage with Him, or before He gives you something new to do.
Scripture makes it clear that Christians must get their own house in order before God will bless them. Look at the Israelites. Over and over again we find ‘and the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord’.
What was the solution? Clean up their own act before they were asked to take the next step.
Above all else though is this clear message … that when God asks us to work with Him and for Him … we need to remember that He will lead the charge and win the day in spite of our weaknesses.
So, think on these statements as I bring this to a close, which I found on line, by Pastor Charles McCall from the states.
‘It is God’s grace that gives strength to go in the name of the Lord despite any circumstances; when going through storms; when friends forsake you; even when you are in pain, and when it seems like all hope is lost, and you can’t 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 victory over weakness.
Finally, remember this …
“My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.”
(Pray)
