Study 41 – God's Choice – The Weak

How easy it is to be impressed by apparently strong people! We look at well-known pop stars or sports' idols and think, 'Wow! Just think of the impact that they would have if they became Christians.' Church leaders often respond in the same way. They see celebrities giving their lives to Jesus and are quick to promote them. They forget that although famous new believers may be significant in the world's eyes, they aren't yet rooted in God. And when these stars try to transfer their high profile to the Christian circuit they often come unstuck. God isn't as impressed by human magnetism as we are and doesn't necessarily feel obliged to endorse it.

We hate our weaknesses
Contrary to expectations it's the weak things that God chooses to shame the strong. Many Christians don't boast about their weaknesses, they deplore them. If they were honest, they'd probably admit that they were fearfully conscious of personal inadequacy. They long to be more resourceful and feel utterly disqualified for any significant work for God.

But God often has to weaken strong people before he can use them. Moses was strong. As a young man he was 'educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action' (Acts 7:22). Here was a forceful born leader. But his first attempt at helping his people ended in total disaster. He had to flee for his life and ended up spending the next forty years in a desert.

When God invited Moses to be his representative in the greatest demonstration of divine power that the world had ever seen, Moses didn't want the job. He claimed that he couldn't speak and asked to be excused. All his natural strength had gone. This formerly mighty man was now weak enough to be God's instrument in confronting Pharaoh and weak enough to know that the crossing of the Red Sea was God's problem, not his.

'Let the weak say, "I am strong!"' (Joel 3:10)
Strong people can accomplish a great deal but eventually they reach the end of their resourcefulness. Sometimes they're shocked to discover that they haven't got what it takes. Peter was like that – confident in his own strength. He declared to Jesus, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you' (Matt. 26:35). And then we read of his crumbling failure and the renewed call from a gracious Saviour who picked him up and commissioned him again. Peter was now weak enough in his own eyes to be God's spokesman on the day of Pentecost.

Weak people have to trust in God because they know that they can't accomplish anything without him. So if God chooses the weak, don't despise your weakness. Rather, celebrate His grace in choosing you and believe that he will supply grace for the future. Start thinking of weakness as a great advantage. It helps you build on the right foundation from the beginning.

To Meditate On

God loves to demonstrate his power through weakness.

'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' (Exod. 3:11).

'How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family' (Judg. 6:15).

'I came to you in much weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power' (1 Cor. 2:3,4).

Food For Thought

Read 2 Corinthians 11:30; 12:7-10

What's Paul's attitude to his weakness?

What's Paul's attitude to his weakness?

To what extent do you share this attitude?

To Pray

Pray for 'weak' people in general (e.g. the poor, the elderly, the sick, the lonely, those suffering from physical or mental problems, the uneducated, the addicted, the suicidal).

Pray by name for 'weak' people that you know.

To Do

Contact one of the people you know above (by letter, card, phone or e-mail) – just to say that you're praying for him/her.

Be Inspired

'God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him.'
James Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China