Tag: weakness

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1 Samuel Devotionals

Bearing with others’ weaknesses

1 Samuel

It’s easy, I suppose, to criticize the people of Keilah. After all, David had just saved them from the Philistines, and now they were going to hand him over to Saul?

There is something to note, however.

We have no hint that the people of Keilah had been talking to Saul like the people of Ziph did.

It is possible, of course, but there was no way that David rescuing Keilah from the Philistines would have escaped Saul’s notice, even if the people of Keilah had said nothing.

More likely what happened is that word came to Keilah that Saul was coming, and that David started hearing people whispering around him.

“What do we do? We can’t just hand David over can we? He just saved us from the Philistines.”

“Yeah, but did you hear what Saul did at Nob? He slaughtered over 80 priests because they had helped David. Priests!!!”

“Yeah, and we couldn’t protect ourselves from the Philistines. How could we protect David from Saul? He’d just kill us like he killed the priests and kill David anyway.”

And it was probably those whispers that led to David asking God, “Will they hand me over to Saul?”

When God said yes, David could have gotten angry at the people. He could have demanded the people of Keilah at least try to help him.

But instead, he left quietly.

He understood their weakness, and so he forgave them.

People will let us down. They are weak.

But then again, so are we. And yet Jesus still shows us grace every day.

So let us remember the words of Paul:

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another.

Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13)

Categories
Proverbs Devotionals

When our strength is small

If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10, ESV)

It would be easy to look at these words and condemn ourselves if we find ourselves faltering in the face of adversity.

To look at ourselves and say, “How weak I am! I should be stronger than this!”

But the truth is, our strength is small. And if we rest in our own strength, we will falter. No matter how strong we may be, we will always find situations that are too big for us. 

So what do we do? 

Paul tells us.

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. (Ephesians 6:10)

Or as the psalmist put it,

Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always. (Psalm 105:4)

And let us remember our Lord’s own words. 

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

So in these times of adversity, let us take on Paul’s attitude.

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 

So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Categories
2 Corinthians Devotionals

Living by grace

2 Corinthians

I was thinking on a passage I was reading with my small group yesterday. It’s a pretty famous passage in which Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.”

Three times Paul asked that it be taken from him, and three times, God refused, answering,

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Paul, looking back on the experience, then said,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (9b-10)

Truth be told, I hate being in places of weakness, where I don’t feel like I’m in control.

I suppose few people do.

My dad talked about it being like walking on a tightrope with no safety net below.

Not a comfortable feeling.

But if I don’t experience weakness, I’ll never truly experience God’s grace.

That was true when God saved me. (Romans 5:6)

It remains true even now.

So maybe I need to do a little more stepping out, reveling in my weakness.

I’m not exactly sure what that means for me now. But I’m sure it won’t be long before God starts telling me.

Categories
Ephesians

Embracing Your Role as an “Ordinary” Christian

Ephesians

I think that for many Christians, they look at my last post that says we all are called to be stewards of God’s grace to those around us, and they say, “But I’m no Paul. I can’t do the things he could do. I’m just an ordinary Christian.”

But like I said, you aren’t called to be Paul, nor are you called to be a steward of God’s grace in exactly the same way he was. Nevertheless, you are called to be a steward of his grace, sharing his gospel and touching those around you.

“But I’m not qualified,” you might say. Or, “I’m not worthy.”

Do you know that Paul felt the same way about himself? He says in verse 7-8,

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:7-8)

Paul felt totally unworthy to be a steward of grace. He called himself the least of all God’s people. Why? Because at one time he persecuted the church and was responsible for the imprisoning and death of many Christians.

But then he says that despite all this, “This grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Not because of his own worthiness. Not because of his own pedigree or talents. But because of the “gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.”

And the same is true of you. God calls you to be a steward of his grace. Why? Because he has given his grace to you.

And the ability to be a good steward is by no means dependent on your pedigree or your talents. Nor do you need to rely on your own wisdom and strength.

Rather, being a steward of his grace is dependent on the grace and power he has given to you. And because of the grace and power he has given you, you can be a steward of his grace.

More, Paul tells us that it is God’s intent that through the church, his wisdom in all its facets would be displayed to the world.

That means you. You and all the other Christians together are the church. And God’s will is that his wisdom would be displayed through you.

“But I’m weak. I’m ordinary. How can God use me?”

It’s exactly because you are weak and ordinary that God can use you. Because when you are weak and ordinary, you are forced to rely on God and his strength, not your own.

And as Paul wrote, when you are weak, then you are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

And if that’s not enough for you, remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 1.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)

God is not looking for the strong to display his wisdom, but the weak. So if you feel weak, you’re exactly what God is looking for.

For when people see what God is doing in you and through you to touch those around you, it will amaze them. And they’ll think of us as the religious leaders did of Peter and John.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

When people see us, may they take note that we have been with Jesus.