Promises for when you are weak

The story is told of a man who was walking across the road when he was hit by a car. The impact knocked him on his head which caused him to be in a coma for a couple of days before he finally regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, his loving wife was there beside his bed holding his hand.

He said, "You know, Judy, you’ve always been right by my side. When I was a struggling college student, I failed again and again. But you were always there with me, encouraging me to go on trying."

He said, "And when I got out of school and went for all of my interviews and failed to get any of the jobs, you stayed right there with me, cutting out more classifieds for me to check on..."

“Then I started work at this little firm and finally got the chance to handle a big contract. But I blew it because of one little mistake, and yet you were there beside me all the way. Then I finally got another job after being laid off for sometime. But I never seemed to be promoted and my hard work was never recognized. And so, I remained in the same position from the day I joined the company until now... And, through it all, you were right there by my side."

Her eyes are starting to fill with tears as she listens. He says, "And now I’ve been in this accident and when I woke up, you’re the first person I see. There’s something I’ll really like to say to you...."

He said, "Judy, I think you’re just plain bad luck!"

Not what she was expecting to hear…

I wonder if that’s what God hears from us, too. He walks with us through our hardships and the valley of death, through troubles, tribulations, and difficult times, and instead of thanking him for being there, we turn our back, we raise our fist, we say – why are you putting me through this? Don’t you care, God?

None of us are invincible, we all have trouble and pain in this life. Despite our best efforts to chin up and act as though it is all okay, we know that every human being that walks this earth will have moments of weakness. Furthermore, I bet if we were honest about it, we have a lot more weak moments than many of us choose to show.

Think about a job interview, probably the most awkward question is the “What are your weaknesses” question, right? Many people respond with- I work too hard; I tend to take my work home; I am a perfectionist, and that drives my wife nuts. How many people give honest answers like- I lost my mom when I was young, so the week of her birthday I am an emotional wreck. My husband lost his job about a month ago, so I am stressed to the max of how we are going to keep our house; or I have a hot temper, so one wrong word can send me off a ledge in a moment.”

Friends, the Bible is clear, we do not need to embrace our weaknesses, but we need to acknowledge them. What’s the difference? Embracing our weaknesses allows them to own us, we act as though that is how we will always be, and thus submit ourselves to their desires and punishments. Acknowledging our weaknesses means knowing that they are there and that we struggle, and it is the first step in allowing the strength of Jesus to step in and help us. So, today I want to outline 4 promises for when we are weak; in hopes that knowing these promises will empower us to be more transparent with Jesus, and with one another, about what we struggle with.

No Weapon Formed Against You will Prosper

Isaiah 54 is a promise of peace between God and Israel. This passage is filled with some important promises that fill us with hope, because we know that the promises that God makes in this passage are also made to those who are following the will of God in their lives today.

At the end of this chapter we find one of the most recited promises by Christians across the centuries- no weapon formed against you will prosper. A powerful promise that empowers many to victory in Jesus. We should be thankful for the power in this promise.

Notice, though, that the promise is that the weapon will not prosper, it never says that the weapon will not fire at you. As one popular song puts it- the weapon may be formed but it wont prosper. We must remember that pain and trials will come, that is a guarantee. The promise is what will happen when they do.

The Hebrew word we translate to prosper in this passage is צלח and it means to be successful, to cause victory, or to be useful for one’s enemies. In other words, the promise is that the enemy will not overcome you, even in the event that you are under attack.

Too many times we are caught believing that just because something stands against us Christ has failed us. Or we think that just because the enemy may have the upper hand for a moment or 2 that we are defeated, but much like I tell the basketball teams that I coach, there is a reason that we play 48 minutes- the winner is who comes out on top at the end of the game, not 5 minutes in.

So even in this moment, if you feel as though the enemy is winning- HOLD ON TO THE PROMISE

Weakness can allow us to be formed

Steel is not easily to mold, bricks are not the easiest to manipulate, and it is nearly impossible to mold wood without tools; but thinks like sand, gel, clay- the things that many consider weak are the things that are able to be molded and fashioned to what the person using them wants them to be.

In Paul’s writings he likens us to jars of clay that can be molded and shaped by the potter. But soft clay is not strong- I wouldn’t build a house on it, or use it to hold a heavy load- but Paul says there is value in being able to be molded.

Many say that being weak is a vulnerability, but in the Kingdom of God it is an asset. As Paul said in our opening Scripture today:

English Standard Version Chapter 12

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me

Our Weakness is never pointless

Romans 5:3-5 says “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

It is easy to wonder, why God? To be depressed and loathe in self pity and pain. We can wallow and wonder “why did you make me this way, God?” “Why do I struggle with this?” “Why does this have to be so hard?”

Or we can stand on the promise of Rom 5 that no suffering, no weakness is in vain. The Bible tells us that our sufferings produces endurance, character, and hope. You know, many of the qualities that we pray and ask God for- they find their foundation in suffering- or weakness.

Think about the Christians in your life that you look up to the most- the ones that have a deep faith, the strongest integrity, the calmest attitude in the storm- I bet you that if you hear their story, that was formed in weakness. In the moments when they could not depend on themselves but had to reach out to God- those are the moments when things like endurance, character, and hope are built.

The question is, what are we focused on- the weakness, or what God is producing in us? It reminds we of a blood transfusion. Yes, the needle hurts, the procedure is surely uncomfortable- for those few hours you have to do some suffering, but through that transfusion you get what you need to live, to fight off infection, and to be healthy and whole.

Many times the weaknesses that God allows to be exploited in our lives are the things that create what we need to live in Christ.

Through Christ, your strength will be renewed

We have all heard this verse before- they that wait- some translations say hope- in the Lord....

The word we translate as hope or wait in this passage is the Hebrew word Kee-Vah, its root in the word Kav- which means a measuring or plumb line. I love that image. A plumb line that marks a dead straight line vertically. That when we allow our hope and trust to be completely true in the Lord we can rest in this promise.

Did you know that eagles do not run from storms?

An eagle knows when the storm is approaching long before it breaks. It will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, it is soaring above it. The eagle doesn't escape the storm, it simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rides on the winds that bring the storm. Isaiah compare people to eagles. He says, in the words of God, that we are blessed with that gift of God that enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure, and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weight us down, it is the way we handle them.

We must remember that Isaiah is writing these words in the midst of Babylonian captivity- that the nations of Israel is in the storm, they are in their weakest hour while these words are being written.

Some of the younger people in the church are probably not familiar with Popeye- if not, do your homework this week- read your Bible and go search YouTube for Popeye. This passage is a Popeye passage, remember Popeye? Scrawny and not able to do much on his own, but give him that can of spinach and he turned into a powerhouse of a man- coming to the rescue of Olive Oil time after time. I am reminded of God’s power in our weakness…

Paul knew what it was like to be weak. He himself pleaded with God three times to have this thorn removed and God said “NO!” He kept this weakness in Paul’s life. Paul saw it as a reminder, a reminder that he was not the prefect one, he was not the strong one, he was not the wise one- GOD WAS.

I love how Paul comes to terms with his weakness in 2 Corinthians 12- and I have to tell you I have read 2 Corinthians 12 A LOT and this week as I studied this week these 5 words jumped off the screen as they never have before- FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST- Paul says that he is going to allow Christ to rule in the midst of his weakness- it is for the sake of Christ that he choose to be strong- to not complain, to be content. Sure, if his life was just for Paul’s sake he would never accept such pain and weakness- but it is not about Paul, it is about Christ.

Friends, some of us are in our weakest hour right now. We need these words of strength and courage. Hold onto the promises, know that even if you feel.....