Weakness is Strength

“For my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

If God’s ways are far above our ways, when He acts He performs by His own rules and when we see those moving parts in action it’s breathe taking. “For my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

God will never share His glory with another, why would He? He alone is God and He shares the rule of His universe with no other. The scriptures are full of clues to His brilliance and the way He has chosen by wisdom to deal with mankind. In our text we see a rule and the principal of “strength made perfect in weakness.” Let us ponder and unpack what this actually means. We practice to get better, if I have been gifted as a ball player, then by training my gift is honed and I get better. That is a no brainer! If I go to gym and bring to bear my body when I do my first arm curl I find I am weak, but as time goes on I get stronger through training and the weight I use for the curl increases as I enlarge in strength. I therefore by strength training get stronger by strength; you could say my strength is made perfect in strength, the complete opposite to how God has chosen to work with us. The regime God uses is, “for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

We have looked at Jehoshaphat’s over the last couple of days, so let us stay with his example; we have a great illustration of God not sharing His glory with another, when God works there will be no mistake to whether His hand is in it or not. Listen to me carefully, when people claim healings, be warned, as there will be no confusion to whether or not someone has been healed. It will be miraculous, it will be mind blowing, and it will be evident to all that God has moved. Let us look at this account in 2 Chronicles 20; Judah was under the rule of King Jehoshaphat and a great multitude came against them, there were so many persons that Jehoshaphat fear for his life and the existence of his people. They were trapped and defeat would be ultimate. Now the scene was set for God to move and show His luminosity, “for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Here were a people in dyer straights with death looming but GOD was with them. How amazing the instruction Judah receives, they are told not to fight but to stand, huh! How can your muscles get stronger if they are not trained? Surely they thought that they needed to do something, well they did, but it was contrary to human intellect. “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you." This is our lesson, give it to the Lord for the battle is His and not ours. Once you have given it to Him do not be quick to take it back, for when we do we walk in unbelief.

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, “I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory,” defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for “it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own.” C.H.Spurgeon

The apostle Paul puts it this way, “for the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” A lesson we naturally resist, but like anything we ignore in God’s word, it is always to our own detriment. May God give us strength to be weak and to remain humble so that He will receive all the glory? Who was praise when Judah defeated the enemy? God alone received the glory; there was no mistaking that fact.

Remember when the Red Sea parted what a glorious manifestation of God’s regal power, the news even spread to Jericho and Rahab the harlots was save because she acknowledge the work of God in that event. People still try even today to somehow explain that event away, what a joke! When God decides to work, there will be no mistaking His hand in it.

The Lord Jesus has paid the price for sin, “no man can come unto the Father but by Him.” God will and must always receive the glory.

Signing off

Tyrone