Yes, Even in Weakness, Praise the Lord
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:10)
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
(John 15:5)
We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
(2 Corinthians 1:8-9)
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 5:20)
A few days ago on Facebook, a post showed up in my feed from a woman whom I know through my son's elementary class. She is a proud Pagan, and shares that fact often. But her posts are always gloomy, always about catastrophes big and small in her life, and this post in particular was a laundry list of illnesses and issues she is facing on a daily basis. But she ends her post with, "This is not a pity post, this is a warrior post!" But this warrior claim felt empty to me. She was trying to persevere with her own strength, or that from which she imagined she was gleaning from false gods. She mentioned how getting out of bed every day was proof that she was a warrior, as if she was bragging that it is her own self that raises her body every day. I reached out to her, and offered to come over and pray with her, but she politely declined. If any one reading this has any advice on how (or if) I should approach her and this situation, I welcome good council.
There is a popular Christian YouTube personality whom I've been following for some time now. He's young, well informed, and on fire for God. Recently he's been reaching out to his large audience for help to overcome some major strongholds in his life. It is amazing that he is willing to put himself out there in front of potentially millions of viewers confessing his weakness, asking for prayer, and witnessing through tears. He knows that only God can help him through these struggles, along with the help of the Body of Christ supporting him. This seems the opposite approach as the Pagan woman, for he is fully surrendering to the fact that he cannot get himself out of bed in the morning by his own strength; he's using these times to strengthen not only his own walk, but to show his subscribers how confession, repentance, prayer, and reliance is truly done. Whereas the Pagan woman is refusing prayer, this young man is asking for it fervently. And I'm happy to report that by the end of his LiveChat, despite the fact that he was still crying and facing his stronghold, he was dancing to praise music, laughing, and exuberantly worshipping God, looking like a Holy Fool - in front of his thousands of viewers. It was one of the most raw, honest, delightful things I've seen in a long time.
This morning I woke up feeling rested, with the sun on my face, and my purring cat curled next to me, as he always is in the morning, waiting somewhat patiently for me to get up to feed him. It felt like a good morning. I was at peace. But it's not always this way - this peace was hard won, and graciously given. Up until recently, I have been fighting some major battles in my life, and what was so remarkable was that the harder the battle got, the more I turned to the Lord, and the more strength I found in Him, through Him...I said to my friend the other day, reflecting back, "the only reason I could make it through these dark times was because of my relationship with the Lord - because of faith and hope - I can't imagine what a person who struggles this way would feel if they did not have Christ in their life." This deeply grieves me, because we all know there is so much suffering in the world. And it is the Lord who gets us through it all.
My morning routine consists of making my daily health tonic, then spending quiet time in the peace of the morning with the Lord. I have a number of devotionals I read, one of which is the Ruth Myers book we are studying for the 31 Days of Praise. Another is "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, and I also am subscribed to online devotionals by Oswald Chambers, which come to my email daily. Uncannily, today's theme was Weakness - and not just that, but Thanking Him for our weaknesses!
Sarah writes (from the perspective of Christ talking to us):
"Do not resist or run from the difficulties in your life. These problems are...hand-tailored blessings designed for your benefit and growth. View problems as opportunities to rely more fully on Me...Your needs become doorways to deep dependence on Me and increasing intimacy between us." (Jesus Calling, p137)
Ruth writes:
"I choose to thank you for my weaknesses, my infirmities, my inadequacy...for the ways I fall short...for feeling helpless...what a comfort to understand you know the feeling of my weaknesses! And that in your infinite wisdom You have allowed these into my life so that they may contribute to Your high purposes for me." (31 Days of Praise, 58)
Oswald says:
"We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves - God does that." (My Utmost for His Highest, "Take The Initiative")
Today take the brave, bold step to praise God for that which gets you down, and feel how He uses that very thing to lift you up!
We praise God because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
(Psalm 118:14)
Learn more about the 31 Days of Praise!
Resources:
- Ruth Myers, "31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew", Multnomah Books, 1994
- Sarah Young, "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence", Thomas Nelson, 2004
- Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest", daily email devotional, Original edition Dodd Mead and Co. 1935