Against All Odds (Part 1 of 2)

The Strength of Weakness

The Apostle Paul had a problem. A thorn in his flesh inhibited his natural ability to live his life and serve God as he wished. He prayed for the removal of his limitation, but Jesus had something better in mind, and he told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). The entire Bible reveals that power is found in weakness for those who know Christ. The power of God is clearly seen best against the background of human inadequacy. The truth is that our inadequacy may actually prove to be our ultimate qualification in serving God. The Strength of Weakness takes us on a journey through Scripture to show how, time and again, God exhibited his strength through the weakness of people. In his mercy God chose to use the weakness in his servant Jehoshaphat to make him into a great leader. God also revealed his strength in the weakness of David in order to defeat Goliath the Philistine. From King Uzziah we learn, contrary to the mantra of our age, that self-reliance will actually destroy us. From these characters and others, Alistair uncovers the secret that acknowledging weakness is the first step to real strength.