The Strong and the Weak
What makes a person strong? Is it just the size of their muscles? I'll be honest, I like that my husband is physically strong. It makes me feel safe and offers me a sense of protection. But to be fair, physical strength is something that comes and goes over the course of one's life. My husband may resemble Mr. Incredible now, but I have a feeling when he's 80, he'll more likely resemble Mr. Fredrickson from the movie, "Up." Physical strength is not everlasting.
Sometimes, being physically strong offers us a false sense of security. My teenager is very strong for his age, but this can mislead him to believe he is unstoppable. At one point in time, I was a physically fit athlete, but later I became ill and temporarily lost my ability to walk and see. Our strength simply does not endure. So where can we find true eternal strength? How can we be strong even when we are physically weak? David, who was arguably one of the greatest warriors in the Bible, was well known for his strength and military conquests. But David did not boast of his own strength. Instead he continually professed the strength of God. The Psalms are filled David's proclamations of the greatness of the Lord's strength. He calls God his rock, his shield, his fortress, and his stronghold. The Lord gets credit for all of David's physical accomplishments and victories. David writes in Psalm 18:2, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." (NLV)
In the New Testament, Paul acknowledges his physical weakness. He does not count his weakness as a curse, but rather an opportunity for God's strength to shine through. Even though Paul prayed for God to relieve him of the ongoing situation which made him weak, the Lord responded with this truth, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness, " (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB).
With 4 boys at home and a husband who lifts weights, physical strength is often celebrated in this house. However, physical strength is only temporary. All strength that flows through us is a gift of God. We need to be mindful that everything we have is given to us from our gracious Lord and should be used to glorify Him. When we are physically weak, it does not deteriorate from God's strength, nor does it leave us helpless. In fact, it only emphasizes the power and majesty of God and His ability to use us in our weakness for His purposes. While society may look at the outward appearance and rank people according to their strength, it is only God's strength that will endure forever.
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Sometimes, being physically strong offers us a false sense of security. My teenager is very strong for his age, but this can mislead him to believe he is unstoppable. At one point in time, I was a physically fit athlete, but later I became ill and temporarily lost my ability to walk and see. Our strength simply does not endure. So where can we find true eternal strength? How can we be strong even when we are physically weak? David, who was arguably one of the greatest warriors in the Bible, was well known for his strength and military conquests. But David did not boast of his own strength. Instead he continually professed the strength of God. The Psalms are filled David's proclamations of the greatness of the Lord's strength. He calls God his rock, his shield, his fortress, and his stronghold. The Lord gets credit for all of David's physical accomplishments and victories. David writes in Psalm 18:2, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." (NLV)
In the New Testament, Paul acknowledges his physical weakness. He does not count his weakness as a curse, but rather an opportunity for God's strength to shine through. Even though Paul prayed for God to relieve him of the ongoing situation which made him weak, the Lord responded with this truth, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness, " (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB).
With 4 boys at home and a husband who lifts weights, physical strength is often celebrated in this house. However, physical strength is only temporary. All strength that flows through us is a gift of God. We need to be mindful that everything we have is given to us from our gracious Lord and should be used to glorify Him. When we are physically weak, it does not deteriorate from God's strength, nor does it leave us helpless. In fact, it only emphasizes the power and majesty of God and His ability to use us in our weakness for His purposes. While society may look at the outward appearance and rank people according to their strength, it is only God's strength that will endure forever.
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