When Weakness Is Strength

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Mike Whitmer and I titled our reading, When Weakness is Strength. Drew had been in prison for two years because he served Jesus. He'd read stories of missionaries who felt constant joy throughout their incarceration. But he confessed this was not his experience. He told his wife that God had picked the wrong man to suffer for him. She replied, no, I think maybe he picked the right man.

This was not an accident. Drew could likely relate to the prophet Jeremiah, who had faithfully served God by warning Judah that God would punish them for their sins. But God's judgment hadn't fallen yet, and Judah's leaders beat Jeremiah and put him in stocks. Jeremiah blamed God, saying, you deceived me, Lord. The prophet believed God had failed to deliver. His word had only brought him insult and reproach all day long. Curse would be the day I was born, Jeremiah said.

Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? Eventually, Drew was released, but through his ordeal, he began to understand that perhaps God chose him, much like he chose Jeremiah, because he was weak. If he and Jeremiah had been naturally strong, they might have received some of the praise for their success. But if they were naturally weak, all the glory for their perseverance would go to God.

His frailty made him the perfect person for Jesus to use. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Jeremiah chapter 20 verses 7 through 13. You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long. Everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, I will not mention his word or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in.

Indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering, terror on every side, denounce him, let's denounce him. All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, perhaps he will be deceived. Then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior. So my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced. Their dishonor will never be forgotten. Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them. For to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord. Give praise to the Lord.

He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, your power is made visible in our weakness. We confess our failings so we can boast in you. In your name we pray, Amen. Thanks for listening. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries.