Westside Church of Christ

We never appreciate having our weaknesses exposed. We live in a pull-yourself-up-by-your- bootstraps culture which mocks frailties and flaws. It is a human perspective that fails to recognize our total dependence on God. Apart from Him, we are absolutely helpless and hopeless. The Lord has a way of opening our eyes to see ourselves as we truly are.

Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful man. At least, that was his opinion and he had good reasons to think so. His exploits were impressive. Then came the day that he was admiring his kingdom and all that he had built when he ran head-on into the real king and found himself on equal footing with cattle. It was a crash course in humility, and it worked. His good senses and his

throne were restored as he recognized where true sovereignty resided (Daniel 4:28-37). God has a way of teaching us. Sometimes, it’s dramatic and embarrassing but always worth it.

It is easy to overestimate our own strength when we occupy a prestigious position like King Herod. He held the purse strings for the neighbor’s food, and that inflated his already sizable ego. He dressed in his royal best and strode up to the podium to deliver his speech. He was imposing in appearance and eloquence. The audience was enthralled, and he did not

discourage their adoration. They noticed him. God did, too. The people were impressed. The Lord was not, and the king turned into worm food, was eaten, and died (Acts 12:20-23). The king was not quite as powerful as he thought. What would he have to say now?

Saul was a hostile opponent of the church until the Lord knocked him for a loop on his persecution tour. That transformed him, but there were still more lessons to be learned. He would be on the receiving end of revelation directly from heaven, and that can be a pretty ego-inflating experience. God made sure that Paul’s head didn’t swell too large. There was a thorn in the flesh that persistent prayer did not resolve. The educational value was too significant to remove it. Satan’s handiwork was used by God to teach the apostle about the wonder of grace. It is sufficient. As illogical as it seems, true strength comes when we finally face up to our human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Paul’s road was one filled with hard knocks, and he learned contentment in the many challenges of his life because of this lesson. It is never pleasant to have our eyes opened to see our own weakness, but it is beneficial for then we look beyond our own strength to the God who is able. And that is always a good thing.

Call to Praise: Philippians 1:3-11

His word on it: 1 Corinthians 1:4

Sermon: “Thank God for Youl”