It seems that each time I get into a situation that reveals
my weakness and inability to cope, I impulsively conclude, “God cannot help
with this one,” and I despair and fear the worst.
For example, we just bought a car. It was the first one I had
owned in 40 years. Everything filled me with fear—the price, the reams of paperwork
(I understood little of it), getting insurance and plates…I was overwhelmed and
felt trapped by one more thing I now had to maintain but without a clue how.
Yes, we now need a car, but I didn’t even know how to
identify our ownership papers from the piles of other papers. It felt that everything
had fallen into my lap, and I wanted to run. I also felt ashamed that I couldn’t
do what others delighted to do—to own a car.
How could my Lord possibly help me? At the time, I didn’t
see how I had minimized His power and promises. It was only after I returned to
His Words that my eyes began to open. An unstoppable coalition of three powerful
armies was heading against Jerusalem. King Jehoshaphat knew that there was no
way that they could stop them. They were looking into the face of their weaknesses
and annihilation. Therefore, all the people assembled in the square of
Jerusalem to pray for God’s deliverance from their hopeless
situation. Could God possibly rescue them? It didn’t seem possible:
·
Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with
their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the LORD
came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of
Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he
said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:
Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this
great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s…You will not need to fight
in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the
LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be
dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” (2
Chronicles 20:13–17)
The Lord was with them! The three massive armies turned
against each other, and they were annihilated:
·
The face of the LORD is against those who do
evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for
help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is
near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the
afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalm
34:16–19)
Many are our afflictions and weaknesses, but our Lord gladly
shows His love for His people by delivering us out of the claws of all our
problems.
Paul had been mightily afflicted lest he become proud
because of the many revelations he had been given. However, God revealed to Paul
that He used his weaknesses to create His strengths within him. Paul got the
point:
·
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the
more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For
the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2
Corinthians 12:9–10)
Paul understood that there was a purpose for all his
suffering and weaknesses. Therefore, He rejoiced in them!
I think that this is something we can only learn as endure
the refining fires of the Lord’s love and our own failures.
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Many will reject the message of this essay, since it contradicts the politically correct assumptions of “social justice,” which deny the traditional distinctions of “good and evil” and replaces them with the “oppressed and oppressors.” It also disdains the concept of “God’s people vs. those who reject God.” I would simply ask you to reconsider your assumptions in the light of reason and evidence.
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