The Power of Weakness
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One
of the favorite & well-known stories of O.T is the story of David
and Goliath. From the way the writer describes this incident an outsider
would have found the whole thing somewhat comical. To anyone watching
from the hillside, this must have been amusing, to see David and his
sling going against the giant and his weapons of war. But to everyone's
surprise (not the least of which was Goliath) David emerged the victor.
(1Samuel
17:1-24).
Why did God chose to use David in this encounter with
Goliath? He was untrained, ill-prepared, inexperienced, and young. Humanly
speaking, he had nothing going for him. There were thousands of well-trained
Israelite soldiers present who would have been far more likely candidates.
Yet God chose David. Why?
We could chalk the whole thing up to military skill and
leave God out of the picture completely. God did not choose to send
a soldier for that very reason. He chose a young shepherd instead. He
looked for someone who seemed to have not even the slightest chance
of success. Someone who would be completely dependent upon Him. An instrument
through which He could demonstrate His mighty power in such a way as
to get credit for it. When David slew Goliath that day, there was no
doubt in his mind who delivered the giant into his hands (see 1Sam.
17:37). And there was no doubt in anyone else's mind, either.
God's Choice
The point is simply this: the greater the odds, the
better for God. Our Heavenly Father gets far more attention and
thus more glory when He works through persons the world considers weak.
The apostle Paul put it this way: See 1Corinthians
1:27-29.
Look at that second phrase. God chooses to use the weak
things of the world. He does not have to. That is His choice. When He
uses what is weak, His power and might are that much more evident.
So how does all of this fit into our discussion of adversity?
One of the reasons God allows adversity into our lives is to cause us
to rely on His strength instead of our own. In doing so, He perfects
His power in us (see 2Cor.12:9).
Relying on His power manifests His sufficiency to us and to all those
who are familiar with our situation. David's victory was a source of
rejoicing and encouragement to the entire nation of Israel. And so it
is when God works through one of His children in spite of the individual's
weakness.
Handicaps
Adversities always handicap us in some way. They either
slow us down physically or drain us emotionally and mentally. Adversities
keep us from functioning at 100 percent. Our minds get divided. Our
energy level is low. And even the simplest tasks become major ordeals.
Jobs that once took a couple of hours now take all day. Our tempers
shorten. And the least little thing irritates us to no end. It robs
us of the resources we need to function properly. Areas of strength
become our greatest weaknesses. Adversity is always unexpected and unwelcomed.
It is an intruder and thief. And yet in the hands of God, adversity
becomes the means through which His supernatural power is demonstrated.
Perfect Power
The apostle Paul certainly understood this principle.
After asking God three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, Paul
finally received an answer. It was not what he expected. God told him
flatly that He would not remove the thorn.He would,however, supply the
extra strength Paul needed to carry out the work he had been called
to do. (2Corinthians
12:9-10).
Like all of us, Paul wanted his circumstances to be right.
So that is how he prayed: "Lord, get rid of this thorn." But
God wanted Paul to live with a handicap. It was His will that Paul remain
weak. But not for weakness's sake. God's purpose was to weaken Paul's
dependence on his own strength, his own wisdom, his own intellect. God
wanted Paul to minister and live out of his weakness, not his strength.
This is the idea behind the phrase "power is perfected in weakness."
Be encouraged.
