Delighting In Trouble

We know him as the apostle Paul. He never stayed long in one place unless he was in chains. He was absolutely brilliant and would not have made his mark in history had he never had that blinding encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. And yes, he was also eccentric.

Take, for example, what he wrote to the Corinthians, who loved philosophy and sensuality: "I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties." Furthermore, Paul added these words, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). That's paradoxical - how can you be strong when you are weak? What is he trying to tell them and us today?

Here you see a picture of a man who was beset by weaknesses - physical as well as adversarial. Paul had enemies, plenty of them. But Paul's difficulties drove him to God.

The word that Paul uses, translated "weaknesses" was the word commonly used for physical affliction or sickness. This word was also used to contrast your strength with that of someone more powerful than you or to describe a position of inferiority in reference to someone else's strength.

Now a picture emerges which looks like the reflection of life today in the mirror of experience. Often we look at life and we feel overwhelmed by the firepower of our enemies who would like to wipe us out. So what do you do, stand there and yell for it to go away? Or do you cry out, "God, I'm weak give me your strength"? And when you do, you become a recipient of God's grace - His unmerited favor and help - so you can overcome the enemies that would defeat you.

This is an entry from Finding Refuge and Strength by Harold Sala. This devotional is available at OMF Lit Bookshops and our online store, shop.omflit.com for P275.

About the book:

Start the year absolutely assured. Know in your heart that God is the only security you will ever need in this uncertain world. Run to the only refuge that can keep you safe and secure. Turn to God for strength. While it is certain that you will experience hardships, you can overcome them and find peace, protection, and solace in God's arms. And you too, like the psalmist, can declare, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge." -Psalm 18:2