Notes of Faith April 28, 2025
Strong When Weak
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
Paradox derives from an ancient Greek word, paradoxon, that meant “contrary opinion.” The Bible contains many paradoxes: The last shall be first, we receive by giving, we live by dying, and more. One of the most practical paradoxes in Scripture is that when we are weak, we are strong. The apostle Paul stated as much in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 when he found himself in a situation of weakness. He discovered that his own weakness allowed the strength of Christ to be manifested in his life more clearly.
It is almost paradoxical that the church in Asia Minor that Christ commended for its faithfulness was also a church that had “little strength”—the church in Philadelphia. The church was being persecuted by the Jewish community and was in a place of human weakness as a result. And yet Christ commended them for keeping His Word and not denying His Name. They demonstrated that it is possible, when humanly weak, to be spiritually strong.
If you find yourself in a place of weakness today, meditate on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12 and ask God to manifest His strength in your weakness.
I cannot go deeper into weakness than Jesus went.
John Hindley
Mondays for many are not the best days of strength. Even pastors may spend Monday feeling their weakness in the day previous. But the glory of God does shine through in our weakness and others more readily see Christ than the person before them. We all want to bring glory to God. Therefore, give thanks, praise God in your weakness that His glory, profound truth, and life giving gospel, will rise with power and strength when you are weak!
2 Cor 12:7-10
7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Pastor Dale