When I am weak, then I am strong

Today Pastor Renee Bernett from Paradise Youth Community Church came and speak in our evening service and her message speaks right through my circumstances...

I had a deeper understanding of what God meant when He said when I am weak, then I am strong. She talked about thorns in our lives and how to live with them. The thorns she meant was our weaknesses and struggles in life. Firstly thorns are not intended to crippled us. She shared a story of her daughter as an example of what she meant. It goes like this, her daughter Georgia was playing the swing outside the yard when she swung and hit the rose bushes. A rose thorn was stucked to her toe. She was practically screaming, running around the house but she's not running to her mother or father. She was just yelling she's in pain and hysterically continued running. The father had to grab hold of her and asked her to stop, and said 'I know you're in pain but stop running around, we will fix it' She stopped and nodded.

So you see, sometimes we're like Georgia, when we face troubles we panic and began to worry, we run around to get away from it, struggling and wailing. And God will catch hold of us and tell us that whatever circumstances that might be, He will fix it. God will always be there so we shouldn't be afraid of the thorns. God says that He knows that we're in pain but He will mend it.

Secondly was that thorns or weaknesses holds no power unless we gave it power. Matthew 27 talks about Jesus having the crown of thorns. And that crown of thorns is to break the power of curse! She gave another story as an example of how the mind being so negative and gave it's weaknesses power. A guy Nick was locked inside the icebox. He thought he would have definitely died and couldnt survive the night. Because there's no one else there anymore and its freezing in the icebox. He had a pen and a paper in his pocket and so he began writing his farewells. The next morning, he was found dead of hypothermia. This disease is where someone died because of the freeze of the body. But the interesting thing was that the icebox wasn't even plugged in!!Which means the icebox is only on a normal temperature! I was amazed and surprised. The mind could be so negative and overpowered it's weaknesses.

The last thing is that we should learn to let God's power to inhabit our weaknesses. In 2 Corinthians 8-9, God says "My way is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect into weaknesses"

Pastor Renee used glasses as an example. She said that someone with poor eyesight would have to wear glasses, the weakness is that couldnt see clearly because of poor eyesight. But we could go to the optometrist and we can either wear glasses or contacts. Then we will be able to see clearly. Its the same with God. Our weaknesses are still there, it wont go away but God will hand us heavenly glasses and that, is the power to make the weakness strong.

And let's say one day you forgot to bring your glasses and asked to borrow someone else glasses. But still it wouldn't work, we wont see clearly! God has a special set for each one. And each one is not the same. What works for others might not work for us.

The main thing is that God turns our weaknesses into our strength and build us up. And how true that she said these weaknesses are not to cripple us! And she ended saying that all the people in the Bible had a problem and God used them mightily. Moses couldnt speak well but He led the people out of Egypt. Sarah and Abraham was old but its not that God make them instantly young, they are still old but Sarah had a baby. Mary had an unexpected pregnancy but the one who were born from her was the savior of the world.

I truly understand now how God kept my weaknesses there although I asked Him again and again to take them away and give me something stronger. But God said no, He will walk with me through my weaknesses. I'm weak in many things but now I know what God's intentions are. I couldnt hold back my tears when I heard this message. It was so meaningful and it speak right to me because I am having that kind of situation. I believe God had spoken to me and He assured me time and time again that I would not dwell just like that in my weaknesses but He will use me in His might.