{"id":27152,"date":"2023-06-28T15:16:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T22:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2023-caesarea-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-06-28T16:04:45","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T23:04:45","slug":"2023-weakness","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2023-weakness\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Fear Weakness"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Bear Grylls<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Fear Weakness<\/strong><\/p>\n

I often feel inadequate because of my many weaknesses. But sometimes God works through our weaknesses better than through our perceived strengths.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We see it in Gideon. Chosen by God to lead an army, he didn\u2019t feel that he was up to the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cPardon me, my lord,\u201d Gideon replied, \u201cbut how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Judges 6:15<\/p>\n

Often our doubts and fears only really surface when we\u2019re about to be tested. But our sense of weakness is no barrier to God. \u201cI will be with you,\u201d said God to Gideon. And He says it to us too.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I often draw strength from the words of the apostle Paul:<\/p>\n

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ\u2019s power may rest on me\u2026 For when I am weak, then I am strong.<\/em>\u00a0\u20142 Corinthians 12:9-10<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t run or hide from your weaknesses. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Accept and embrace them, <\/strong><\/p>\n

and lay them before the Almighty. <\/strong><\/p>\n

He longs to enter, transform, <\/strong><\/p>\n

and empower our lives. It is what He does \u2014 <\/strong><\/p>\n

but only when asked, <\/strong><\/p>\n

and only when there is room for Him to work.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A false sense of self-confidence often gets in the way of our progress in life. There\u2019s a power to weakness, strange as it sounds. But when we admit that we\u2019re unable to fight the big battles alone, that is when we learn to effectively rely on a stronger power. God-confidence is always going to win over self-confidence. Gideon knew that, as have so many of the most empowered men and women throughout history.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Curtain Between Man and God<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is arguably the most poignant moment in human history: Pilate turned and looked at Jesus. Covered in blood, a crown of thorns biting into His scalp, soldiers on either side, Jesus didn\u2019t look like much of a threat to the Roman ruler. I imagine Pilot half sneering, half despairing as he spoke:<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 John 19:10<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But Jesus\u2019 reply was so calm and clear:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You haven\u2019t a shred of authority over Me except what has been given you from Heaven.<\/em>\u00a0\u2014<\/strong> John 19:11 MSG<\/p>\n

It must have looked to many as though it was game over, as though Jesus\u2019 life had been a failure \u2014 that hatred, jealousy, and ego had conquered over mercy, forgiveness, and love. But in reality, the greatest victory in the history of the world was about to be won. The conquered one, the man who looked as if He\u2019d failed, was about to reveal a source of new life, a new vision for humankind, a new road to peace and unity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces.<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Matthew 27:51 MSG<\/p>\n

Whenever we\u2019re struggling with the circumstances of our lives, let\u2019s see beyond what other people see as failure and look instead to what God\u2019s doing behind the scenes in our lives. Let\u2019s choose to remember that the greatest triumphs sometimes occur when the circumstances seem to be hardest.<\/p>\n

He went through it all \u2014 was put to death and then made alive \u2014 to bring us to God.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 1 Peter 3:18 MSG<\/p>\n

When we think life is dark, Christ knows better. Look up. The light is coming.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Excerpted with permission from\u00a0Soul Fuel<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Bear Grylls, copyright BGV Global Limited, 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":27160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"portfolio_entries":[29],"class_list":["post-27152","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_entries-29"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/27152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27152"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/27152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27161,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/27152\/revisions\/27161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27152"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio_entries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_entries?post=27152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}