INTRODUCTION
This post is the continuation of yesterday's post titled: "Wait on the Lord." Please if didn't see the yesterday's post, look for it as you read this continuation. Tomorrow I will post the remaining part. Thanks for your time, you will surely gain something.
He gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might ... He increases
strength (Isa 40:29).
The story is told of a blind man and a cripple who became inseparable friends.
What contributed to their friendship?
The cripple could see perfectly but could not walk. The blind man had strong legs, but could not see. The cripple offered his seeing ability to the blind man in exchange for his mobility.
The blind man will carry the cripple on his back.The cripple would instruct the blind man which way to go and warn him of objects in the path that would cause him to stumble.
Their mutual weaknesses and need brought them together to take advantage of each other's strength.
Depend More on God
In the same way, our spiritual blindness and lameness should drive us to a prayerful
dependent relationship with God, so His strength can take the place of our weakness.
The hymn writer said it beautifully:
His strength is made perfect in weakness. His power is not for the strong. He giveth more grace. To the weak in the race. His strength is made perfect in weakness.
The personal weaknesses which make us aware of our lack of ability or power to
be a leader should cause us to turn our greatheart to God in prayer (sometimes with fasting). If we respond in this way, we will find
He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might... he increases strength (Isaiah 40:29).
The attitude of dependence upon God attracts His attention and draws Him to us
and causes Him to gloriously manifest His power through us.
Our inadequacies are seen as blessings in disguise when they press us to dependence on Christ.
However, if instead,we wallow in self-pity, or self-hatred, looking inside ourselves, searching for understanding of our problems, all we end up with is a feeling of inferiority.
Confess The Word
What psychologists call "an inferiority complex" is usually a carnal preoccupation with ourselves (self-consciousness) It can result in a view of yourself which says, “I am no good! I am just a useless washout… God can never use me." This kind of self-view leads to total discouragement.
I heard Billy Graham (most famous evangelist in history) in one of his books, says, “God never use a discouraged servant."
This is true! We must overcome such attitudes by the word of our confession (Rev 12:11).
By saying about ourselves what the Bible says about us, we are made overcomers. The Bible says, “I can do all
things though Christ who strengthens [empowers, enables] me" (Philippians 4:13).
"Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).
Through our God, we shall do valiantly.
It is He - Who shall tread down
our enemies.
We will sing - and shout the victory.
Christ is King! Christ is King!
We must not confuse an inferiority complex with the scriptural meekness that God blesses. It is not the same thing.
Draw Near In Prayer
The kind of weakness to which God responds is that which produces a sense of dependence on Him. When we pray, “I need you Oh God, and cannot get along without you". God works on our behalf. We become like King David who prayed, "My soul longs for thee, Oh God” (Psalms 63:1; 84:2).
This sense of need contributes to the development of a healthy devotional and prayerful life.
That is the way it should work. Isn't it? In contrast to the above, an all pervasive self-consciousness will paralyze us. It is a barrier which will prevent God's
power from flowing through us. Renounce this kind of carnality and turn from it. Recognize that God is the strength of his your life and you need not be afraid (Psalms 27:1). He will show Himself strong on behalf of those who reverence, worship and depend on Him.
Exchange Your
Strength For His Strength
Even youth shall faint and be weary, young men shall utterly fail; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew (exchange) their strength" (Isa 40:30.31).
The key word in this verse is "renew" which would better be translated "ex-change." As we wait upon the Lord, He will take away our strength and replace it with His own.
It is not a matter of combining our strength with His, but a complete removal of our strength to put on His. God is saying, “If you are strong in yourself, I cannot use you. If you can do it yourself, you do
not need Me."
What does the Lord ask us to do before He will "exchange" strength with us?
a. Acknowledge Your Need.
King David wrote, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of
all his troubles” (Ps 34:6).
Asaph acknowledged his weakness and need of God in these stirring words: “So
foolish was I, and ignorant; I was like a of beast before thee” (Psalms 73:22).
Both David and Asaph received God's strength because they were willing to humbly acknowledge their need and weakness. There is a powerful word of promise for all who will do the same thing.
"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. "... that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together that
the hand of the Lord hath done this … " (Isa 41:17-20).
1) Paul - An Example.
Paul found that if he would acknowledge areas of need and weakness in his life, it would result in the strength of God coming to him in more powerful measure.
He writes,
Lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given unto me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me... For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me” (2 Cor.12:7,8).
And how did the Lord answer Paul's petition for relief from this buffeting and weakness? “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect [complete] in [your] weakness" (vs 9).
Now you can understand why Paul says:
"Most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities [weaknesses], that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
This is the principle by which the power of the gospel works.
When we are weak, and sense our great need of God, this makes us completely dependent on Him. This causes us to spend much time in prayer.
The result? We are strong!
The next post will summarize both this post and the yesterday's post.