Best of Blogs #25

Power, originally posted 4/28/10.

Over two years ago, I wrote an article for Just Between Us Magazine (published through Elmbrook). They liked it, but held it for a while. So by the time they published it this January, I was here in Loveland, working at Group.

Someone at a church a couple towns over read my article. And it spoke to her. So she asked me to be a keynote speaker at their women's retreat. I said yes. I don't consider public speaking to be my gift at all, but it doesn't scare me and I thought it would be a good opportunity. So I did it. And I thought it was pretty cool how God's timing had worked. She wouldn't have asked me if they'd published the article right away, when I still lived in Wisconsin.

The event was last Friday. I was asked to speak on the same topic as my article - the power of God working in us, rather than working from our own strength. And the talk itself was a life lesson in that. From the time I accepted this task, God randomly gave me little nuggets to include. Sometimes while I was brushing my teeth or in the shower, other times things I'd read in Scripture...so by the time I sat down to put my talk together, I didn't have to think of any material. God had already given me more than enough to fill the time frame. All I had to do was weed through it, pick the best stuff, put it in order, and make it flow well and fit with the theme of the retreat (which he'd already given me ideas to do).

But even though my talk was Friday, God is continuing to show me new things about his power and my weakness. I don't think he wanted me to revisit this topic just to talk to others about it. I think he wanted me to rely on him more.

Last night I read the story of Gideon going into battle. God says he has too many soldiers, and with an army that big they might take the credit rather than giving it to God. So he whittles his army down to just 300 men. They are severely outnumbered. And it's in that weakness, with that tiny little army, that God's power is revealed in their victory. There's no way they can take credit. They made themselves weak so God could be all the stronger.

Also this week I was reading in 2 Corinthians 12, where Paul has his "thorn in the flesh" and asks God to take it away. But - for the very purpose of keeping him from becoming proud - God leaves it there, saying, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness" (NLT). I think it's the first time I ever read it in that version, and it really struck me. God's power works best when we are made weak. Just like Gideon's army, there's no way we can think WE accomplished anything without God's power when we are weak.

Lord, make me weak so that you may be shown strong and powerful.