When We Are Weak, God is Strong
Dawn Hennessy
Have you ever felt utterly incapable of dealing with the circumstances you are going through or are going to have to go through? Twenty-two years ago, I finally got to hold my baby girl after a long and eventful labor. I remember thinking how unprepared I felt and that I had no idea what I was doing! I had read baby books and attended a how-to baby class, but I had never even held a baby! Although we planned to have children, our first child was not quite in our plan yet. But alas, here we were with our first little one, and I quickly handed her back to my husband to watch and learn from what he did. Although he didn’t have much experience either, he confidently took charge and was amazing. He changed many diapers before I was brave enough to!
God, in His infinite wisdom, taught me how to be an independent, more confident mama! When our little girl was only six weeks old, my hubby, who had been home for almost that entire six weeks, had to leave for a school across the country. With no family close, I had no choice but to figure out how to be a mom on my own. Thankfully God was always there even in my weakest moments, even when I was scared to death that I was going to mess up.
For most of you, this probably seems like such a trivial thing – to be the mom of a newborn, but it was an area where I felt weak and terrified. Over the years, I have felt weak in many areas, but I have watched time and time again as God has provided someone or something to fill in my weakness or give me the knowledge and wisdom to grow in my weakness.
He has shown up for me in my homeschool journey, many military moves, parenting dilemmas, marriage problems, our adoption of our youngest, and countless other times. I have felt weak and unable to solve so many problems, but to God goes the glory because He provides a way every single time!
God’s word is full of overwhelming situations and Bible characters with many weaknesses. The Bible is a beautiful, true story of God, showing how He chooses to use people who didn’t have it all together. Don’t you love that God chose people who were not strong but had to rely entirely on Him for their strength?! Don’t you love even more that He is still choosing people who don’t have it all together?!
One of the most extraordinary examples is God choosing Abram (Abraham) to be the father of a great nation. In Genesis 12:1-4 and 15:1-6, God tells Abram that his descendants will number as many as the stars! BUT he was 75 years old and had no children, and his wife was barren! This couple, who lived in a time and place where being the head of a large family was expected and honored, could not have children and would have been thought to have been cursed! In The Gospel on the Ground, Kristi McClelland says, “Abram would have been seen as the epitome of weakness. He was like a blank slate in society’s eyes. No one in that world would have chosen Abram. But the living God did. God chose Abram and told him that He would make him into Abraham – an exalted father of a multitude.”
Can you imagine what Abraham would have thought to have received a promise like that after so many years of being without a child? At age 75, he still had to wait another 25 more years for God’s promise! He was 100, and his wife was 90 when they had their promised son Isaac! The whole thing is crazy to imagine, but God had a huge plan, and His timing was perfect. God shows up when we are weak and incapable!
In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes about a thorn in his flesh, which he pleads to God to take away three separate times! Instead of God taking it away, he gives Paul these words.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
In the blink of an eye, God can heal us, fix our broken relationships, and take away our addictions or fears, but most of the time, He chooses to walk with us through the hard times. We live in a fallen, broken world, and we are often broken and fallen. Instead of taking away our horrible circumstances, God often chooses to walk us through them. He restores us, renews us, and helps us get back up on our feet. He knows that sometimes we must go through the process to grow. Looking back on my life, I see how good God has been over and over! He fills in my weakness! He restores me when I am broken and weak!
“He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 23:3-5a
Even when I face a new problem and doubt and fear creeps in, I know God always sees me through and won’t fail me. He is my power and strength, even when I feel like I have nothing left. Even when I just can’t see a way that He could possibly make the outcome work, He works out a way, and to Him alone goes the glory!
You don’t have to feel like you have it all together. None of us do! When we don’t know how to take the next step, God has us completely. God always shows up! When we are weak, He is strong!
Have you ever felt like you were in over your head?
How did you handle the situation? Did you turn it over to God or try to go at it alone?
Take some time to reflect on God’s goodness! Reflect on those hard situations that God walked you through.
If you are currently in a hard situation, trust that He can and will walk with you every step of the way and show you His power!
