When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong

By David J. Stewart | July 2014

2nd Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

       I recently heard an encouraging sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) titled, “God Is Looking For A Bunch Of Weak Christians,” based upon our text passage of Scripture above. I also heard another MP3 sermon by Dr. Hyles titled, “When I Am Weak, Then Am I Strong,” I wrote this article from some of the things I learned in these two helpful messages. Contrary to what most people think, God does not want to make us strong. Rather, God the Father wants to strengthen our union with His only biological Son, Jesus Christ. We grow in grace, not in strength. Jesus doesn't want to make us stronger; but rather, the Lord wants to add HIS STRENGTH to our own weakness, so that God the Father gets all the glory.

When we receive the Son, we are receiving the Father Who sent Him. John 13:20, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” John 5:36, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” In Jesus Christ we see the Father, because He and the Father are one (John 10:30), both equal members of the eternal Godhead (Romans 1:20 in faithful, unchanging, KING JAMES BIBLE).

Jesus said that His strength is “made perfect” [Greek: teleioō meaning “completed, that is, (literally) accomplish”] in weakness. Hence, when you are your weakest and keep going, you are your strongest. Strength is your degree of resistance against resistance. KEEP ON GOING! Weakness makes us stronger, because it requires more strength to keep going. The Lord is our strength. Psalms 18:1, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” Notice that the Lord doesn't give us strength; but rather, JESUS IS OUR STRENGTH! Psalms 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

Again, don't miss this, God does not want to make us strong. He wants to add His strength to our weakness. God wants to build us until we become weak, and then He can add His strength to our weakness and use us for His glory.

We grow in grace, not in strength!

God's not looking for smart people, He's looking for dumb people. God is looking for uneducated people who will trust His Word and obey Him. God is looking for the broken, the losers, the in debt, the messed-up, the felons, the homeless, the nobodies. If your heart is broken and you don't know how to face tomorrow, good, you're weak and in a position for God to use you. God wants to use the blind, the maim, the halt, the deaf, the mentally-ill and the handicapped (physically challenged) to confound the wise.

God uses weak people. God doesn't need your tall stature as was king Saul. God doesn't need your talents. God doesn't need your money. God could turn every grain of sand into gold coins if He wanted. God doesn't want to make you stronger, He wants to strengthen your union with Christ. God does not take away our weakness and replace it with strength. God does not build us up to be strong; but rather, God builds us up to be weak. God desires to strengthen our union with Christ.

If a person goes down to apply for Food Stamps, they don't put on an expensive tuxedo suit, wear a diamond studded watch, wear gold jewelry, wear expensive fancy alligator shoes, and pull up in a Rolls Royce automobile. No, rather, to apply for Food Stamps a person goes looking like they're poor. Likewise, you don't come to God with all your education, talents, money and abilities, saying “Here I am, what can I do for you!” Rather, we ought to humbly pray and ask God to help us become WEAK, so that God can use us mightily. God, what can you do through me? God never had a child who was TOO WEAK to use, but He has had many children who were TOO STRONG! You don't have to be a strong person to be used of God. You just give God your weakness and He'll use it for His purpose and glory.

Are you sick? You qualify for God's help. Are you lonely? You qualify for God's help. Are you brokenhearted? You qualify for God's help. Are you suffering? You qualify for God's help. Are you weak? You qualify for God's help. Are you tired? You qualify for God's help.

We can keep going through any burden, tragedy or heartache because there is a God. You can handle anything, no matter what comes your way, because the strength of God is compatible with your weakness. 1st Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Trials look worse on the way before they arrive, because the grace of God doesn't get there until the trial does. God gives us the grace when the burden arrives. You can and will be able to handle the coming nightmare, if you'll let Jesus be your strength...

God doesn't want to strengthen us,
He wants to strengthen our union with Christ!

Consider a young man lifting weights. You don't get strength FOR the weights; but rather, BY the weights. As you lift the weights, you become stronger through pain, so that you can lift heavier weights in the future. We get stronger by taking it, hanging in there, not quitting or throwing in the towel. Keep on keeping on! God is looking for a bunch of weak people. God gets all the glory that way!!!

Come ye sinners poor and needy,
Jesus' blood can make you free;
Come weak Christian and cast yourself upon Him,
And God's mighty power can flow through you,
And God's mighty power can use you!

God is looking for unlearned people so His wisdom can make you wise. God is looking for people with health problems, so He can use your suffering to help others who are suffering.

When God wanted to change America, he went to a baseball player in left field, who was a drunk that stumbled into Pacific Garden Mission. His name was Billy Sunday.

When God wanted to change the nation of Israel, He went to a little shepherd boy named David, from the smallest family of Jesse, of the smallest tribe of Benjamin, of the smallest nation of Israel.

When God wanted to reach the Gentiles for Christ, he went to a small man named Saul (later the apostle Paul), whose profession was hunting down and killing Christians.

When God wanted to deliver His people from bondage out of Egypt, He came to a murderer named Moses, a nobody shepherd out on the backside of the desert Wilderness. Moses was slow of speech. Moses had a hot-temper. Moses struck the rock twice in his anger, forfeiting his blessing to entered into the Promised Land. Moses smashed the Ten Commandments to the ground in his anger. Moses murdered a man in his anger. Yet, God used Moses to set free the Hebrew people.

God uses the weak, the sinners, the despised, the foolish things of this world. God is looking for weak people who have a strong tie with Jesus, the Savior. How weak are you? END

“Too many people let the failures of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow rob them of the joy of serving God today!”
—quote from the sermon, STARTING OVER by Pastor Danny Castle!!!

“The way to be where you ought to be tomorrow is to do what you ought to do today!” —quote from the sermon, STARTING OVER by Pastor Danny Castle!!!

Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Christians are tender-hearted people living in a cold-hearted world, and the two just don't mix!

Repent And Believe To Be Saved

Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Mark 1:15: “...repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." —John 5:39

HELL FIRE (you'd better get saved before it's too late! by Pastor Danny Castle)

Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness! | Believe The Gospel