When We Are Weak

Posted on 12/12/2014 by goodnewsfromadistantland — Leave a comment

Kratochvil hanging-cups-(vessels) It is a fact of life that the earth is full of ordinary people. Most of us are plain folks – common, simple people.

The gifted geniuses of this world, the titled nobles, the mighty athletes — all these kind of people are not in abundance. And though the media would have us think otherwise, only a small minority are rich and famous.

Yahuwah Elohim [the Hebrew name for LORD God] must truly love ordinary people, because there are so many of us!! Ordinary people are just the kind of people Father God is seeking — the plain, the simple, the lowly:

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things (worthless things) of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. (1Corinthians 1:26-29)

This is a very good passage to remember at those times when we are feeling inadequate, weak, unimportant, or useless. It is the ordinary, the weak, the commoners of this world, the so-called ‘despised ones’ that Father is seeking, in order to fulfill His purposes.

Yahuwah has chosen to put the wondrous treasure of His Son’s precious Redemption, Righteousness, and Holy Spirit INTO us. He has chosen precious, yet frail, weak, earthen vessels to accomplish His purposes, by His grace:

We have this treasure [Yahushua the Messiah (Jesus Christ)] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2Corinthians 4:7).

Father chooses each one of us, knowing our weaknesses! He is not surprised by our weaknesses, which is why He makes His grace abundantly available for us! – for it is when we are weak, that He is strong on our behalf! (see 2Corinthians 12:9-10).

It is our tiny mustard seed of faith that Father uses to show Himself strong on our behalf (Hebrews 11:32-34)! Ultimately it will be seen that our heavenly Father is glorified the most, in those who may be considered weak and ‘less than the least.’

Less Than The Least

The apostle Paul considered himself to be ‘less than the least’ of all the Believers (1Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8). ‘Less than the least’ is how many of us consider ourselves. Yet Father uses the less than the least to accomplish and fulfill His purposes:

Jacob, one of the patriarchs, was a ‘less than the least,’ because he was not as highly favored by his father as his brother Esau. (Genesis 25:28)
Gideon, a mighty man of valor, was a ‘less than the least,’ because he came from a poor family, and was considered the least in his family. (Judges 6:15)
Ruth, a faithful and honourable daughter-in-law, wife, mother, and grandmother, was a ‘less than the least,’ because she was a nobody, coming from the despised tribe of the Moabites. (Ruth 4:13-22)
King David, a man after God’s own heart, was a ‘less than the least,’ because his father considered him as insignificant, and the least of his sons. (1Samuel 16:11; 17:28; Acts 13:22)
Jonah the prophet, who proclaimed Yahuwah’s truth to a whole city, was a ‘less than the least,’ because he was afraid, and ran away from doing what Father had called him to do. (Jonah 1:1-3)

The un-named woman who anointed Yahushua [Jesus] before His crucifixion (see Mark 14:3-9), she was a ‘less than the least’. But, with her tiny mustard seed of faith, she did a good work by doing what she could.

Many unknown saints, who were considered less than the least, have done what they could, and have thus ended up doing good, even great, works for Yahuwah:

George Müeller, as a youth, was a thief, a liar, and a gambler. Yet as a young adult, he repented deeply and soundly, and then proceeded to do what he could by praying and seeking Father’s guidance in everything he did, eventually influencing thousands.
Gladys Aylward was considered unqualified to be a missionary to China. But she did what she could, taking one step at a time, and eventually influenced hundreds in China to become joyful Believers in Messiah.
David Brainerd is a very good example of a weak, frail, ‘less than the least’ earthen vessel. He battled tuberculosis for most of his adult life. But he did what he could, by keeping a journal of his walk with Father, and by preaching to Native Americans in the 1700’s. His journal has influenced many Believers because of his determined perseverance in the face of great suffering.

All these started out as insignificant and less than the least! Yet they did what they could! They did good works, one step at a time, by Father’s grace.

Heaven alone will reveal the countless, ordinary, frail, and somewhat defective, earthen vessels who have trusted God’s Word, and have done many good works, simply by taking one step at a time and doing what they could.

Be of Good Courage!

It is the ordinary people — plain, weak, lowly, the ‘despised’ of this world, — whom Father chooses. We are His precious, chosen, earthen vessels, created for His pleasure! We are of great value to our Heavenly Father. With His help and strength, we can do what He bids us to do, and ‘fight the good fight of faith!’

Let us therefore, take up our good courage and the faith we have, and determine to DO what pleases Father, by doing what we can:

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in Yahuwah [the LORD]. (Psalms 31:24)

Let us not despise our weak and frail efforts of walking with the Saviour! As followers of Messiah, He is with us! He is our precious treasure within us! And we are His chosen [earthen] vessels of honour and mercy (see Romans 9:21-23). He will not fail us nor forsake us!

Yahuwah’s grace is plenteous, supplying us with the necessary enablement and strength, and thereby the obedience, for producing the fruits of His righteousness:

… they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Yahushua Messiah. (Romans 5:17b)

For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yahushua unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

… Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Yahushua Messiah, unto the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11)

These verses remind us of Yahuwah’s power toward us on our behalf! It is our ordinary-ness, our common-ness, that Yahuwah chooses, to bring glory to Him. Though many of Father’s children are hidden in lowliness and so-called ‘un-importance’, yet Father has ‘good works’ for us to fulfill!

So let us do what we can for our loving Saviour, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. God knows what He is doing. He chooses the ordinary, the weak, the humble, to confound the things that are mighty.

Yahuwah delights in our heart’s desire to walk in faithful obedience to Him, even if what we do seems small and lowly (Ecclessiastes 9:10).

“God is faithful. He rewards the smallest act of faithfulness. He never passes by one single thing that we do in sincere faith and obedience.” — Derek Prince

“All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they believed that God would be with them.” – J. Hudson Taylor

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Anonymous

If we seek to love, honour, and obey Yahuwah and His Word in all we do, trusting His loving care for us, then His grace abounds, and His strength is made perfect in us! (2Corinthians 9:8; 2Corinthians 12:9)

He has chosen us — His weak, earthen vessels — to fulfill His purposes (Daniel 11:32b).

Therefore, take heart Dear Saint, because . . . when we are weak, He is strong on our behalf!

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