“… out of weakness were made strong…” Hebrews 11:34
God will take our weakness and make us strong – not by our power, but by His power. When we are weak, we realize we have limits. We know we are insufficient of for the kind of life God intends for us to have. The person of faith realizes that real life is living in reliance upon a loving and all-sufficient Creator. He is our Life. He is our strength.
God told Paul, “My strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9).” The word for “perfect” in the Greek is teleioo, which means to perfect, complete, accomplish, fulfill. I believe the meaning of this verse is that God’s power and ability can operate at its fullest capacity when we allow Him to have His way in us. That means, we lay down our agenda, self-promotion, and selfish ambition; instead, we seek God’s plan and God’s glory. Our lives are not about what we want; they become a constant pursuit of what God wants. It’s not about the world knowing who we are; it’s about the world knowing who He is. By choice, we live to serve Him and lift Christ up. Paul stated his choice, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
Paul knew his weakness, but he also knew God’s power. Paul experienced a strength that was supernatural, a strength that lifted him when he was weak. That’s why he could say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” Paul said that he went to minister with trembling. He didn’t live in self-confidence; Paul lived with a God-confidence. He didn’t go from place to place like he was a hot shot. Paul’s life was in danger every place he went. He went with one motivation – and that was for Christ to be known in His power. Because of His position of surrender as a bondservant of Christ, his ministry was known for the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power. He must have loved Jesus to live for Him like he did.
Paul wrote, “For though He (Jesus) was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God… (II Cor. 13:4).” God did the miraculous through lives that were genuinely sold out to Him. The same is true today. When we come to an end of self, then God can have the freedom to be all He can be through us. It’s supernatural. It’s extraordinary. It goes beyond what we could think or imagine. It’s God’s grace working in us and through us – a grace that is only received through the surrender of a sold out faith. It’s a resurrected life of knowing His glory!
Application: Do you feel weak? Are you going through difficulty? Let the trials bring you to a place of complete surrender. The Lord will lift you up.