40 Days of cHesed—Day 35

Day 35 God’s Power in Your Weakness [...the seeds of the Purple Martyrdom were planted long ago!]

The good news is that it really is all about God—his purpose, his love, his power, and his hesed. The bad news is that it really is all about God….

How could that be bad news? Well, let’s think this one through together.

• If it is all about God’s purpose, then we must continually restrain our desires and submit our purposes to God’s.

• If it is all about God’s love, then we must put away our fears and live fearlessly for him.

• If it is all about God’s power, then we must admit that we can’t do what he wants us to do simply by using our own abilities.

• If it is all about God’s hesed, then we must accept the incredible aid he offers us—or be found faithless in our practice of hesed.

This means that we must not only admit our weaknesses—grudgingly and privately, if necessary—we must embrace them! If we do not know our weaknesses, we cannot look for God’s help to overcome them. We must share them humbly and honestly. We must be excited because they provide opportunities to witness the awesome power of God. (See 2 Corinthians 4 and 12:7-10.)

Embracing God’s power in our weakness is not a human strength (no pun intended). It can only be done if we allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit and driven by hesed.

• We must be driven to serve God and serve each other—by humbly using our grace gifts for ministry on purpose.

• We must be driven to submit to God’s plan and to the needs of our brothers and sisters—by exercising loving restraint on purpose.

• We must be driven to be sensitive to opportunities where God is asking us to take the initiative and make the first move—by leading with mercy on purpose.

When we are hesed-driven, we will dare to be a David facing Goliath with what looks like a few stones and a sling—knowing that the power of God will fell the giant. We will dare to walk around the fortress of our enemy shouting and blowing horns—knowing that the power of God will knock the walls flat. We will jump out of the boat when Jesus calls us to walk to him on the water—knowing he will keep us from sinking.

Are you pumped for being weak yet? Good, because God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called.

Today’s Look at 1 John

Read 1 John 4:7-21 one more time. Soak up the awesome power of God’s love.

Keep Breathing!

Five weeks…you are so strong and yet so limber. Way to go—God is waiting for a huge high five!