"The Power of Weakness" Part 4

The Power of Weakness

Part 4

   

   God's purpose involving the revelation of His greatness as displayed through weakness offers answers to some of the mysteries of His way in our lives.  Born again believers serve as participants in His "eternal purpose in Christ" (Ephesians 3:11).  Such purpose involves the destruction of any notion that created beings can usurp God's place and authority in creation.  Moreover, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus dwells and walks in us, thus leading to a similar experience as known by our Savior as known during His earthly lifetime.  Thus, our Heavenly Father's living and dynamic working in us often occurs in ways known only by the faith that "endures, as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27).

   Many times in the Psalms, David cried out "How?… Why?… What?" (Psalm 35:17; 10:1; 30:9).  The man of God could not understand the ways of God in conditions, circumstances, and situations wherein the Lord seemed to be still and far away.  Indeed, the same David who affirmed God as "a very present help in trouble" cried out at another time, "Lord, why standest Thou afar off.  Why hidest Thyself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 46:1; 10:1).  Certainly we all at times wonder the same regarding our own lives.  Our Lord's promises are not always accompanied by explanations, even as we search diligently and prayerfully in the Scriptures.  As the old saying goes, believers must often trust God's heart when we cannot understand His hand.

   Our consideration in these messages offers light in the darkness.  As the children of One who presently works to completely end the darkness of independence as propagated by the devil, the world, and the flesh, the power of weakness will often characterize God's way in our lives rather than open, obvious displays of Divine might.  Sometimes, a "still, small voice" comes when we hope for a wind, earthquake, or fire (I Kings 19:11-12).  The Lord speaks rather than acts, promising in His Word and by His Spirit that He is present and active despite every appearance to the contrary.  The way is hard, and calls us to a chosen confidence in God that we may not feel, or that may not seem reasonable to our fleshly thoughts and perceptions.  We must therefore remember and choose to believe the clearly proclaimed truth of Scripture that our Heavenly Father presently perfects His strength not in strength, as it were, but in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).  Thereby He reveals the evil and insanity of Satan's lie and delusion of independence, and thereby He honors us to fulfill such a holy purpose in our lives and experience.  

    The day will come when the infinite power of God will be openly manifested in all things, and in us.  This is not that day.  This is the day when the same Christ who lived most of His earthly lifetime in the shadows of obscurity will again walk quietly in His trusting saints.  Challenges will often linger, thorns will remain, and prayers will seem to go unanswered.  All the while, the living and true God will be mightily at work, fulfilling His glorious purposes in ways that seem to belie His involved presence.  Will we open our eyes to see?  We must, and the Bible's plain declaration of this challenging Truth illuminates our path as we consider the Light that presently shines most brightly in the darkness.  How blessed we are to be active participants in the purposes of God as He reveals through Christ and His church the power of weakness.

"God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence."

(I Corinthians 1:27-29)

Weekly Memory Verse

    And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(II Corinthians 12:9)