Day 207: Weakness & Strength

2 Corinthians 12; 1 Chronicles 1-2; Habakkuk 3

The more I follow Christ, the more I realize just how many issues I have and how weak I really am. Paul said that he is "glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles or sufferings, if it is for Christ." It is in our weakness that God can be strong. That is a weird and tough concept to understand. When I am weak, then I am strong? It doesn't make logical sense. But if we look at scripture and the stories of all the people that God worked miracles through, they weren't high and mighty, they weren't perfect people, they all had insecurities. God took these people who were such unlikely candidates for leadership and miracles and worked crazy things through them. The more we realize our weaknesses, the more God can work through them. And, if it is for Christ, we can learn to be glad in our sufferings. With an eternal perspective, such an attitude it possible.

I love th ending of Habakkuk:
"Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant--but I will still celebrate because The Lord God saves me. The Lord gives me strength. He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me to stand on the mountains."

This just shows that even in the midst of hardship, we are still to praise God. Earthly prosperity is not a measure of God's love for us or even of how well we are living our lives. Instead, our faith in our Lord is the true measure of who we are.