Power Through Weakness III

Back in 2011 I wrote a blog entitled Power Through Weakness where I explored Paul’s motif in 2 Corinthians 12 regarding His thorn in the flesh. I later wrote Power Through Weakness II in 2012 where I explored Jesus’s weakness that translated into the greatest victory of all time. In my own experience, I have been sick with Systemic Lupus for over 14 years. The easiest way to explain what that is like is that it is like having the flu everyday for 14 years. Some days it is a light case and some days it is a heavy case but it is always the flu.

And yet I have seen God do more of the miraculous and powerful in my life and ministry since falling to this incurable disease than my whole life before. But sometimes I forget and begin to get discouraged about my condition. This year I have spent as many days in bed as out of bed and I have “missed” work and ministry opportunities as a result and this plagues my mind at times. Currently I have been down for 10 weeks with a flare up and was beginning to wonder what God is up to. I have amazing global opportunities before me this year and I so want to be strong.

This last weekend my wife and I traveled to Dallas/Ft. Worth and I was blessed to speak at a ministry function. We then went to our dear friend’s house and I was so sick I thought I was going to die. I made it through the night and we went to church with them the next morning. I was never so surprised when the pastor stood up to speak and he said, “Well folks as most of you know we have been preaching through the book of 2 Corinthians and today finds us at 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 –

Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The pastor then proceeded to preach a beautiful, powerful, passionate message entitled “Lessons From Thorns”. I sat there as the tears dripped off my beard and thanked God for the providential message straight to me. After the message, our friends commented that it was the best and most passionate message they had ever heard him preach in the 3 years they have attended there. I was so encouraged.

But my surprise was not yet complete. Many in my family have been reading a daily devotional together and the topic that particular day was Strength Through Weakness from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10… WOW! Ok, Lord!… but my surprise was not complete yet… Later that night my wife was reading a different devotional for women that she and my daughter are going through together and the topic… you guessed it! Strength Made Perfect in Weakness from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10… Very humbly now, I looked to heaven with arms thrown wide and quietly said, “Yes Lord, I want your power more than my comfort. I want your strength more than my strength. I lovingly submit to your sovereignty and I excitedly anticipate the mighty things that You are planning and will perform while I remain weak in Your arms.

Matt Bullen