"When I am weak, He is Strong"

“even physical challenges?” 2 Cor 12:10 "Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses...For when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul was desperate in his desire to be relieved of this burden. We idolize the “self-made man” and want to rely on ourselves. It's said we can’t receive God’s strength until we know our weakness.

For too many years...I abused my body! I loved sports, you can say...I was obsessed, a "fan-a-tic...and my family-life paid early on for it as well...(we won't go into that part, right now)... From graduation of high school, 1979, til age 40...I wasn't just a "weekend warrior", I would've, and did play something, every night of the week...I thought I was invincible...I played as if I thought I were a "pro"...no stopping, no "holds-barred"...pushing my body as if it would never stop! as if I would never "grow-old", never have any restraints or regrets! 

Then at 40, I had knee surgery, a couple of months later, neck surgery..."Mr invincible" no more! Now in a few weeks, by God's Grace, I turn 50...quite a "mile-stone" I believe. You see, my mother past away at 39..."I miss you Mom!" Physically, my body reminds me, far too often..."Uh, you can't do that anymore!" Now I'm not talkin' about any weekend warrior stuff, I'm talkin' about the every day stuff, that so many take for granted....like getting up from a chair, or simply walking, or kneeling down to nail something...just simple stuff ya know?  

To say the least, it's very frustrating! I was trying to find some encouragement this morning in my readings of God's Word...the apostle Paul knew of pain...3 different ocassions he to "cried out" to God asking Him to relieve him of his "thorn-in-his-side"...2 Corinthians 12:8-9 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul was desperate in his desire to be relieved of this burden. But there are two ways of taking away a burden. It can be done by removing the load, or it can be done by strengthening the shoulder bearing the load. Instead of taking away the thorn, God would strengthen Paul under it, and God would show His strength through Paul’s apparent weakness. To do this, Paul had to believe that God’s grace is sufficient. Is that it Lord??? I simply must believe? We really don’t believe God’s grace is sufficient until we believe we ourselves are insufficient. For many of us, especially in American culture, this is a huge obstacle. We are the people who idolize the “self-made man” and want to rely on ourselves. But we can’t receive God’s strength until we know our weakness. We can’t receive the sufficiency of God’s grace until we know our own insufficiency. Spurgeon once said: “Great tribulation brings out the great strength of God."

"Ok Lord, Please hear my "cry" this day... I know my weaknesses, Please Help Me?"