Living With Weakness In the Power of God

Most of us have been there. That point in life where our lives feel as if they are spinning so out of control that we cannot even muster the strength to get out of bed, much less face the day before us. Life is hard and more often than we like, it involves events that are just too hard to bear. It is in those times often even the hardest of people turn to God in prayer. Even our atheist friends will come to us and ask us to pray. So we cry out to God and we ask for one of two things. God please remove this from our life, for it is too hard to bear. Or we ask God to give us the strength to face the day.

In no way are those prayers wrong. We do need God’s strength to carry us through. And it is right to humble ourselves before God and admit on our own we cannot do anything. James 4:2 even tells us “you do not have because you do not ask.” So, yes. It is more than ok to ask for strength in prayer.

But sometimes we forget that it is not our will that we seek in prayer; it is God’s will. Sometimes God’s will does not line up with our prayers. What happens when we don’t feel that strength we know we need? This morning as I was reading in Judges, the story of Gideon spoke to my heart in just this question.

The story is found in the sixth chapter of Judges and there we find Israel once again has done “what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Since God never allows His people to just flounder in sin, He brings discipline to them by handing them over to the control of Midian, who oppresses them by taking their food and their ways of producing it away. As Israel becomes desperate and poverty stricken, they once again, cry out to God. Most of us have done this very thing in our own lives. Things go well, we start to drift in our walk. Then God allows discipline in and things go south, so we cry out in prayer. Israel is so often a picture of our own behavior.

But God does not desert us, nor does He desert Israel. Even in our sinful behavior God shows us mercy and grace. Psalm 103:8-10 reminds us that “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”

So God sends The Angel of the Lord, a title that describes Old Testament appearances of Jesus and often called a Christophany, to call out a man to deliver the nation out of their oppression. In what almost seems humorous, God’s choice is Gideon. Why is Gideon a strange choice from our perspective? First of Gideon’s family are worshipers of Baal (though we have no evidence Gideon was involved). Gideon self describes his family as the weakest in Manasseh and he reminds The Angel of the Lord that he is the youngest, implying even more weakness.

Not only is Gideon physically weak, he doesn’t even have much faith. He will test God continually by what we have come to know as the fleece test. Rather than accept that God has called him to obey and take charge, Gideon just keeps questioning God. Gideon wants signs that prove God’s Word is true. The simple truth is that Gideon doubts God. He is weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So why would God pick him?

The answer can be found in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

God chooses the weak things of the world to show the world it is His power that rules sovereignly over all things.

Gideon’s story is a fascinating one. He would go on to fight the battle but something crazy in human terms occurs. Gideon begins with an army of 32,000 men and are about to face an enemy of 135,000. Seems like bad odds and we might expect God would add strength to his army. Not our God. He does not think like us. No, God takes men away until Gideon faces a 400 to 1 ratio. Gideon fights with only 300 men.

What’s the lesson for us in this today? I think it’s a simple lesson. Trust God. Obey God. Have faith in God. If God calls you to do something certainly pray about it. But don’t be afraid to move forward even if you don’t feel strong enough. If God called you to the battle, then it is God’s battle and He will provide the power to win.

Satan will tell you God has let you down. Satan will tell you that you are unworthy and you are too weak. Don’t buy it. Listen to God instead. Sometimes when we think we must move forward in battle and we have the strength, we must step back and let God do the fighting. Exodus 14:13-14 is a powerful reminder of who we have on our side. “But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."

Do you feel weak and powerless this very day to even get out of bed? Does it all seem too much? Then you are right where God wants you to be. Have you prayed and prayed and yet it seems God just isn’t answering your prayer? Take comfort and have faith, He has not deserted you. Hear the words that Paul reports on from his prayers in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “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.”

Let the power of Christ rest upon you. Nothing is too hard for God. If God says go, then go. Forget about your own strength. God doesn’t need it. He is Jehovah Jireh; The Lord who provides.