{"id":108,"date":"2009-05-14T22:10:01","date_gmt":"2009-05-15T05:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/2009\/05\/14\/%e2%80%9cthrough-our-weakness-christ-is-strong%e2%80%9d\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T13:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:03:38","slug":"through-our-weakness-christ-is-strong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/2009\/05\/14\/through-our-weakness-christ-is-strong\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThrough our weakness, Christ is strong.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our first couple months of support team building were really difficult. Nothing was happening. Web site was completed. Plan was set. Tons of contacts in place. Nothing. We were discouraged, had doubts, and really wondered what was up. We were praying and fasting and still nothing. <\/font><\/p>\n

Then during night I had a dream. You know, one of those totally clear, vivid dreams that you remember all the details for. Regardless what your theology on dreams is, this one I believe was given by God for my encouragement. Here’s the dream in a nutshell:<\/font><\/p>\n

New high rise. In lobby, two old guys were seated talking. I joined in. Suddenly we were on top floor, one got up and headed into his office, and I asked other guy who that was. Malcolm Forbes was his reply. I sensed a pull to go talk with him, so wandered down to his office, went in, asked if I could share with him a most urgent need that could transform thousands of lives and start a continent-wide movement. He said I had 1-2 minutes. I poured out my heart to him about our mission work, and asked him if he would partner with us. I was fumbling over words, had no PPT, no materials, just a big need and a plea to help. He smiled and reached into his drawer and pulled out a bulletin from a local EV Free church. He thought for a moment, then told me he\u2019d commit to $39,000\/month, with extra annual donations of a few million to help get our equipping centers up and functioning. I walked out utterly blown away, realizing God did it all. I supplied the fumbling, the inadequate appeal, the mistakes and weakness, and God was sufficient to supply all our needs. <\/font><\/p>\n

Each person in our family, and most people in the world, experience some area of weakness, inadequacy, vulnerability or fear.<\/font><\/p>\n

Eric \u2013 Depending on a support team to provide for our needs. Language learning.
\nHolly \u2013 Kid\u2019s schooling. That God will use what we have to offer to make a difference for Him.\u00a0
\nAdam \u2013 Nervous about diseases, yellow fever, malaria, etc. Doctors might not be so good.
\nAndrew \u2013 Going away from all my friends, and making new friends.
\nAlyssa \u2013 Getting bit by mosquitoes and having allergic reactions. <\/font><\/p>\n

Allow me to share a few Scripture passages with you. Look them up on your own to be encouraged from God’s Word.
\nIs. 40:28-30 \u2013 \u201cThe Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; \ufeffbut those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.\u201d<\/font><\/p>\n

Jesus Himself voluntarily chose weakness and poverty and struggle (2 Cor.8:9; Phil.2 \u2013Emptied Self.) <\/font><\/p>\n

1 Cor. 2:2-5 \u2013 Focus on Christ alone. Came with weakness and fear that power of God might be manifest \u2013 faith of others would rest in God, not men.<\/font><\/p>\n

2 Cor. 3:4-5 \u2013 Our confidence and sufficiency rests in Christ.<\/font><\/p>\n

2 Cor. 4:7-10 \u2013 Treasure in jars of clay to show God\u2019s power. Struggle but not squashed.<\/font><\/p>\n

2 Cor. 12:1-10 \u2013 Paul had the highest calling, yet always aware of weaknesses \/ struggles \/ dependence. By His grace, He is strong and sufficient.<\/font><\/p>\n

Why does God design us to be inadequate and weak and needy?
\n1. To bring glory to Himself \u2013 increase His worship.<\/font><\/p>\n

2. To grow us stronger in Him. (Trust in Him and not ourselves, keep from pride, etc.) Sounds strange that by being weak, we can grow stronger. But we must be purged of stubborn independence and self-will. Only understand God\u2019s grace when we see our own weakness.<\/font><\/p>\n

I hope you are encouraged to lean on Christ, His strength, and His grace, through your weaknesses and struggles. He is sufficient and ready to do a very good work, in and through you. <\/font><\/p>\n

From the Potter’s wheel,
\nEric
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our first couple months of support team building were really difficult. Nothing was happening. Web site was completed. Plan was set. Tons of contacts in place. Nothing. We were discouraged, had doubts, and really wondered what was up. We were praying and fasting and still nothing. Then during night I had a dream. You know, … Continue reading \u201cThrough our weakness, Christ is strong.\u201d<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotional-thoughts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4332,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions\/4332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzglobal.com\/ministry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}