On Sunday evenings in April, we are talking about faith and doubt. As we discussed last week, a common faith problem is that we sometimes put our faith in the wrong things. People trust their resources, themselves or others above God. Even though faith was placed elsewhere, the same people might blame God when things do not go according to plan. When those things and people let us down and circumstances get worse, God remains. He was there before, but His people can be too busy making their own solutions to see His presence clearly.Amazingly, He told us in scripture that He works that way. Sometimes He shows us through the example of who He chooses to be part of His mission. Author Jon Acuff captures this idea well. “God found Gideon in a hole. He found Joseph in a prison. He found Daniel in a lion’s den. He has a curious habit of showing up in the midst of trouble, not the absence. Where the world sees failure, God sees future. Next time you feel unqualified to be used by God remember this, he tends to recruit from the pit, not the pedestal.”
When we don’t pick up on the pattern in examples like these, He even spells it out for us through the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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.”
So where is our faith? It is in our all-powerful God, whose power is shown in our weakness. Those moments of weakness that could challenge our faith can actually be reminders of His power. May that strengthen our faith!
Brian