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 begotten Son, Jesus. 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.
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; and in the case of a believer, our FAITH is that which overcometh the world. 1st John 5:4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Why do some believers commit suicide during hardships, while others hang in their and make it? I believe the answer is one word—FAITH!
The Holy Bible is full of God's PROMISES, and when you cling to those precious promises during the storm, your faith will see you through. As we just read in 1st John 5:4, it is the believer's FAITH that overcomes the world. Do you have faith in God's promises dear friend? I sure do! It is my faith that keeps me going from day to day in my miseries. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” That means we ought to BE OF GOOD CHEER, knowing that Jesus Christ has raised up from the dead, and WE HAVE A HOPE IN HIM!!! 1st Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
The Holy Bible is said to contain 7,487 promises from God to man. The power of God resides in the PROMISES OF GOD! Ladies and gentlemen, we have the inspired written Word of God (i.e, the King James Bible), full of thousands of promises from God to man, that we can build a firm foundation upon!!! That is why the New Testament Church is called: “THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH,” because the local church preaches THE TRUTH of God's Word. Now if your so-called “church” is preaching Calvinism (aka, Lordship Salvation), then they are not preaching THE TRUTH, so they are NOT a real church!!!
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.” 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! Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Our strength as believers comes from Christ. Nehemiah said: “THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH” (Nehemiah 8:10b).
We can keep going through any burden, tragedy or heartache because there is a God, and Christ has risen triumphantly from the dead, justifying our faith in Him as our Savior. 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. That is why we cannot live for tomorrow today. Don't worry about the future! God doesn't give you grace for tomorrow, he gives you enough grace for just today. 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.
Psalms 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
Psalms 118:14, “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”God doesn't want to strengthen us, He wants to strengthen our walk with Christ!
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—a lad 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 renamed “Paul”), whose reputation was that of 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 the Hebrew people free.
God uses the weak, the sinners, the despised, the foolish things of this world. God is looking for weak saints, who are strong in faith. May we all be weak enough for God to make use of for the cause of Jesus Christ.
“Too many people let the failures of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow rob them of the joy of serving God today!” —Pastor Danny Castle, “STARTING OVER”
“The way to be where you ought to be tomorrow is to do what you ought to do today!” —Pastor Danny Castle, “STARTING OVER”
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
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