Elder Chew Chong Kiat

 “Strength in Weakness” (2 Cor 12:10)

Introduction
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa 55:8-9).” The world sees strength in numbers. Military strength is measured in quantity and types of arsenal and the size of the army. Physical strength is measured by how many pounds one can lift. Mental strength is measured by the speed one can solve a problem. But the Word of God speaks of spiritual strength as strength that is perfected in weakness; as Paul puts it, “when I am weak, then am I strong”. This is a spiritual paradox.

God has demonstrated time and again His strength in His people in their extremities. How oft was Israel outnumbered by her foes and totally vulnerable but in her weakness God’s strength was perfected and her enemies were destroyed to the praise of the glory of God’s power. How oft was God magnified in the weakness of His people who trusted in Him and wrought mighty works which could only be attributed to God alone. The good news is that Almighty God is our covenant God today. It is not our strength that matters but God’s.

Are you weak?
Do you recognize your weakness against a spiritual foe? Do you recognize that the warfare of a Christian is not of the flesh? “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12). Look to the Lord!

Do you recognize that you are nothing and can do nothing without God? And unless you abide in Him, you cannot bear any fruits and can do nothing profitable in His sight? (John 15:4-5). Turn to God almighty!

We all die. Our lives are like grass that flourishes for a little while and is cut down and withers away (Ps 90:5-6). Our lives are like a vapour that appears for a little while and then it vanishes away (Ja 4:14). How temporal! When you consider the vastness and intricacies of the heavens you will extol with the Psalmist “What is man!” (Ps 8:3-4).
How weak we are! Yet, we boast great things as if all that we are and all that we do are of ourselves, when it is God who has given us all things (1Cor 4:7).

Before we were born again, our confidence was in our flesh: our talents, training, networks, etc. But after we are born again, our confidence must be in God, recognizing that we are weak and it is God who giveth strength (Isa 40:29-30), and we therefore must wait upon the Lord. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa 40:31).

Do you wonder at the mighty works that the Apostle Paul had done? From whence received he this strength? Was he not a mortal man like us? We read of his struggles in the flesh and we appreciate the infirmities of his flesh. He was far from the description of a mighty man. He felt keenly his weaknesses when he enumerated all his sufferings (2Cor 11:23-28). Who could fully comprehend his deepest struggles when he cried “Who is weak, and I am not weak?”(2Cor 11:29)

But oh how he manifested strength beyond comprehension that was not of himself but from a Divine source! He showed how God kept him low, lest he should begin to think that his own hands had wrought all the mighty works of Paul. God gave him a thorn in his side (2Cor 12:7) to remind him.

He could boast of his credentials as those false teachers in Corinth did. He could boast of the abundance of revelations God had given him. He could boast of how he was caught up into the heavenly places and heard things that were unlawful for him to proclaim. But none of these things would move him to do so.

His only boast was in his infirmities (12:9). Why would anyone do that? Most will want to hide them and try to complement their weakness with their strength. But Paul took his weaknesses and gloried in them. The reason was that in so doing, the might of God was glorified in his weakness, so that all glory may rightly be given to God. The only reason he was able to do so many mighty works was not because of Paul, but all because of God.

We too have our own struggles as believers. Do we recognise our weakness and have we experienced the power of God that is promised to each one of us? Let us find the strength of God perfected in our weakness.

The secret of our strength is in God, for in Christ we can do all things through Him who strengthens us (Phi 4:13). It matters not if we are physically strong or educated or trained or equipped or have plenty of resources, although we are to thankfully acknowledge God for them all and use them as good stewards of God. We must always remember to lean on God and acknowledge Him in all things so that we may be given the wisdom and spiritual strength to do all things in faith and for His glory. When we are reduced to a condition of lack, we know that it is God who is weaning us from trusting in ourselves to prove the sufficiency of His grace to do all things that we may in our infirmities magnify God only. Amen.