What other scriptures emphasize God's power in our weaknesses? Paul’s surprising lesson from a thorn • “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. 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 perfected in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) • Scripture states it plainly and literally: the Lord chooses not to remove every weakness; instead He pours out power that could not be seen otherwise. Seeing the pattern across Scripture • The entire Bible repeats the theme that frail people become showcases of divine strength. • Below are passages—Old Testament narratives, poetic declarations, the words of Jesus, and apostolic teaching—that echo Paul’s experience. Old Testament snapshots of strength in weakness • Exodus 4:10-12 — Moses protests, “I am slow of speech,” but the LORD answers, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” • Judges 6:14-16 — Gideon confesses, “my clan is the weakest,” yet God says, “I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as one man.” • 1 Samuel 17:45, 47 — David tells Goliath, “the battle is the LORD’s, and He will deliver you into our hand.” • 2 Chronicles 14:11 — Asa prays, “O LORD, there is none besides You to help the powerless against the mighty.” • Isaiah 41:14 — “Do not fear, O worm Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer.” (God calls His people a “worm,” then promises victory.) Psalms and Prophets: songs of fragile people, mighty God • Psalm 18:32 — “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way blameless.” • Psalm 73:26 — “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” • Isaiah 40:29-31 — “He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak… those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles.” • Habakkuk 3:19 — “The LORD God is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He enables me to walk on high places.” Jesus and the Gospels: an invitation to the weary • Matthew 11:28-30 — “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” • John 15:5 — “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” • Luke 22:32 — Jesus tells Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Divine intercession covers human frailty. New Testament letters: clay jars, chosen nobodies, Spirit-powered saints • 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 — “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong… so that no one may boast in His presence.” • 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 — Paul reminds the church, “I came to you in weakness and in fear… so that your faith would rest not on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” • 2 Corinthians 4:7 — “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.” • Romans 8:26 — “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” • Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” • Hebrews 11:34 — By faith “out of weakness they were made strong; they became mighty in battle.” Personal takeaway: welcoming weakness so Christ shines The literal, trustworthy record of Scripture shows a consistent pattern: acknowledge weakness, rely on God, and watch His power become unmistakable. Every frailty is an opening for His grace, every limitation a stage for His might, just as Paul learned with his thorn. |
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