WEAK

When we hear the word “weak” in our society, it does not conjure up a very good picture. Whether it is a person that is weak or the branch of a tree, we generally think of the subject referred to as being inferior.

It is not so with God. He created us for His purposes. When we acknowledge God as our Creator as well as realizing that we cannot accomplish His purposes on our own, we are often seen as being weak. God sees it as admitting that we need Him!

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

As I get ready to leave the house this morning to go and continue the work on the SPRING Student Center, I feel very weak; my back hurts, my elbow hurts and I’m tired. However, since I know that this project is exactly where God wants me to be and I know it is HIS project. I can go knowing that He will accomplish all that needs to be done.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

I must look to Christ for my strength. Jesus said,

For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5b (NLT)

He will keep me going and provide help to complete His task.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter 1:3 - 4 (NLT)

Does this work in all situations? The answer to that is found in the above passage; we have everything we need for living a godly life. The minute I forget that and start living for myself, I’m going to fall. The last part of this passage from Second Peter shows that our goal is escaping the world’s corruption caused by our own human desires. When we succumb to our desires, we separate ourselves from His power.

So the next time you feel weak, whether physically, in public speaking or some other task that God has called you to do, realize that the Lord is more than able to keep you from failing and to cause His purposes to be fulfilled in your life.

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PURPOSE

Who determines what you will do today? Is it your boss? Is it one or both of your parents? Or, is it God?

When we operate on a daily basis simply meeting needs as they arise, we can often forget our overall purpose in life. Now maybe you have forgotten what that purpose is and it has been condensed into “just getting by.”

I want to suggest that perhaps you reassess what that purpose is…look at the overall picture of your life. What do you want folks to remember about you? Then look at your daily routine and see how that fits in to the plan.

Jesus stated His purpose like this,

I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. John 5:30b

Now that seems like a great purpose. What is God’s will for you? Jesus said, If you love me obey my commandments (John 14:15). His commandments to us were to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Wouldn’t it be fantastic if people remembered you for your love of God and loving others?

Determine today to do the will of God regardless of what comes into your path.

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MOCKED

There are those who say, “God can’t help you. He doesn’t really exist outside your mind.” Of course, there are many variations of this kind of thinking but we can try to help those people out by telling them stories of how God HAS worked in our life.

Those of us that are call ourselves followers of Christ need to give God glory in ALL things.

Listen to this story from the Old Testament. The king of Assyria was trying to get King Hezekiah of Jerusalem to give up without even a fight…

¹⁷The king also sent letters scorning the LORD, the God of Israel. He wrote, “Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail.” 2 Chronicles 32:17 (NLT)

King Sennacherib doubted, not only that the God of Israel couldn’t help Hezekiah and his people but also that if He tried He would fail.

Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven. ²¹And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword. 2 Chronicles 32:20 - 21 (NLT)

Prayer is our most powerful weapon. It tells God that we know we can’t do something and we need Him to do it. God will not allow His name to be mocked for long. There will be consequences to those who are ridiculing Him.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7 (NASB)

Sennacherib not only lost the war, but also lost his life because he mocked God.

From then on King Hezekiah became highly respected among all the surrounding nations, and many gifts for the LORD arrived at Jerusalem, with valuable presents for King Hezekiah, too. 2 Chronicles 32:23 (NLT)

Because the story was told throughout the land…even the “surrounding nations” who didn’t believe in the God of Israel sent gifts to Him.

Tell your story of how God has worked in your life that all may honor him.

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MISSIONARY

The word “missionary” is generally thought of as someone who goes to a foreign country and tells people about God. They have gone there in response to Jesus’ words that we know as “The Great Commission.” It is most often quoted from Matthew 28:19-20, but is found in some form or another in all the Gospels. Here is Mark’s version:

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15 (NLT)

My question to you is, “Where is the ‘world’” of which Mark speaks? Is it possible that it is right where you live? Could God have placed you in the city where you are right now to be a missionary for Him?

The town of 3500 people in which I live has almost 30 churches. Yet, there are only a handful of teens in all of them. There are 500 students in the high school alone. That, to me, is a “mission field.” That is why we are building the SPRING Student Center. Those that work there with me are missionaries.

Think about that in relation to where God has placed you.

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:21 (NLT)

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ACCEPT

I have a confession to make. I used to look down on other people that called themselves believers and didn’t believe the way I did. I wouldn’t even consider them believers! The problem is that is totally contrary to God’s teaching.

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. Romans 14:1 (NLT)

Thankfully, I dealt with that issue. The danger though is people that call themselves “believers” and then have beliefs that totally contradict God’s Word. This is not what this passage is talking about.

For example, if a believer in Christ chooses to have a glass of wine, who are we to say he is “bad, back-slidden, etc.” and try to argue with them about it? On the other hand, if a professing believer in Christ engages in “sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these,” (Galatians 5:19-21) there is certainly room for discussion!

Having been a youth pastor for many years now, I have learned to “pick my battles.” Dressing in all black doesn’t seem to be up there with sexual immorality. Loud music in a style that isn’t my favorite didn’t make the list of “thou shalt nots.”

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Ephesians 4:2 - 6 (NLT)

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PRIORITIZE

We are generally an impatient people. We want to have it now. We want power, recognition and a list of other things that all come from fleshly desires.

This particular verse jumped out at me today. It reminded me of Solomon’s request to God for wisdom in governing His people. Remember, God gave Solomon riches and power as well because his heart was lined up with God’s desires first.

Here’s the verse I was talking about…

King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6 (NLT)

What is it that you want in your life today? Whatever it is, make sure that you are careful to FIRST live in obedience to the LORD your God. Like my life verse (Matthew 6:33) says,

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UNFATHOMABLE

If we can’t see, taste it, touch it, hear it or smell it, we have a hard time understanding what something is. We are a people that like to have things quantifiable. We respect scientists because they can “prove” things.

Yet, these same principles do not work when it comes to God, the Creator of all that exists including you and me. We must take His Word for things. A former student of mine put it well when he said, “Since creation is past, we cannot prove or disprove anything using the scientific method.” We must simply trust God, or have faith in Him. We must come to the point where we can admit we don’t and can’t know everything that God knows. He is far above us. The upside of that is that He also loves us.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? ³⁶For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33 - 36 (NASB)

Rest today, in the incredible love of the Almighty God…

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