GOD’S POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS
Greg and Nanette Robinson
Today’s Scripture: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV
Theme: My weaknesses allow others to see God’s power in me.
GOD FILLS EMPTY NETS
It was a beautiful summer day as I took my oldest son Jacob (10), his friend, and my youngest son Erik (5) crabbing in our small fishing boat in the salty creek marshes around Charleston, SC. Crabbing is a process that involves tying a piece of chicken to a long string and throwing the line towards the shallow, oyster-laden shoreline and waiting for a crab to grab hold of it. The crabbers, seeing that a crab has latched on to the chicken, begin to slowly pull the string towards the boat until a netter, which was me, scoops the crab into a net. The whole process is exciting as the crabs are pulled onto the boat, taken out of the net, thrown into a cooler, and everyone imagines the hot, drawn butter and sweet crab feast that awaits.
One day many years ago, the older kids were consistently pulling in crabs, one after the other. Erik, so much younger, was having a difficult time even casting the string far enough towards the shore to gain the crab’s attention. Frustrated and competitive in nature, Erik attempted an over-the-head, cowboy rodeo throw, and the entire line slipped out of his hands and sank to the bottom of the salty marsh. Unfortunately, we did not have another crab line and the other kids were not giving up theirs. I tried to comfort him, but he was really upset, sitting in the back of the boat, head down, mumbling in despair.
As I was helping the other boys net a crab, I looked back over my shoulder and saw something I have never forgotten. Erik was holding a smaller fishing net in his hand and was putting pieces of chicken in it. I watched as he carefully lowered the net by its handle into the water. While lowering the net, I heard him pray, “Dear Gawd…please let me catch a cwab.” No sooner than he had prayed that prayer, the biggest, bluest crab of the day crawled into his net and my five-year-old triumphantly lifted his crab out of the water and into the boat to all our amazement.
WE ALL EXPERIENCE PAIN AND SUFFERING
This is a fun story of a child-like faith, of simple prayers, and of God’s power made perfect in weakness, which I have enjoyed telling many times over the years. God does have a reputation for filling empty nets, empty water jars, and empty lives. In our Scripture today, Paul reflects on very serious matters; things that are not as much fun as our miracle in the marsh. He coaches us up on a subject that all of us who live long enough will experience, and that is the trials and tribulations of life.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul refers to the tribulations that he has experienced as “a thorn in his flesh.” No one knows exactly what Paul was referring to, though many scholars have speculated that he is referencing the beatings, false accusations, imprisonment, and infirmities which he experienced throughout his ministry. Suffice it to say that Paul was experiencing an anguish so deep that it was as if his flesh was tearing with such torment and intensity that Paul credits Satan himself as the instigator. Have you ever experienced that type of pain and distress?
As my wife Nanette and I were discussing this verse, she recalled an event of someone whose life, through no fault of her own, had spiraled out of control. She became weary, tired, and in anguish before the Lord. As many of us would, she asked herself why God had allowed these challenges in her life? Why was God not helping her? On her knees and in prayer, she quietly began turning her challenges over to God. It was in that quiet time with her heavenly Father that God began to show her the path forward, revealing to her truth and understanding. On her knees, she began to feel the grace, sufficiency, and perfect power of God which Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12:9. With renewed strength, this woman rose from the ashes of her life and began positively impacting the lives of other women in ways that she never could have before.
WHEN WE ARE WEAK, HE IS STRONG
God does not promise any of us a life free from affliction, trouble, or even flesh-piercing pain. In fact, He specifically says that in this life we will have trouble. But the Good News that Paul shares in this Scripture is that for those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, His Grace is sufficient. In our weakest moments, we can be assured that the POWER of Christ will rest upon us when we turn our situations over to Him. Paul’s persecutors, though they thought he was weak, would one day witness God’s life-changing power through the apostles’ writings and preaching. Those suffering in the weakness of their afflictions, while broken, can be made whole. Their testimony can be strengthened as they share the message of God’s grace and the restorative power of Jesus Christ into the lives of others. For those times when it feels like our net is empty, God can put a CWAB IN IT!
Make It Personal: God’s grace is sufficient. In weakness, you can experience God’s perfect power! Trust Him with all the challenges you face in life, both large and small. God loves you; He cares about you, and He wants you to place your trust in Him today.
Pray: God, use the challenges that I face to draw me closer to You. I place my trust in You today, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Allow me to feel a comfort that is beyond all my understanding, in Your divine presence. Make it that the power of Christ rests upon me so that in my weakness, and through my unique testimony, others might gain a better understanding of the sufficiency of your Grace…Amen!
Read: Luke 5:1-11; John 16:33; Psalm 121; 2 Corinthians 11:23-33
Weekly Memory Verse: “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” Proverbs 24:16, ESV