{"id":1887,"date":"2019-08-10T13:33:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-10T13:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hispreciousgift.com\/wordpress\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2019-08-10T13:33:19","modified_gmt":"2019-08-10T13:33:19","slug":"teaching-moments-in-the-kingdom-of-god-weakness-is-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispreciousgift.com\/wordpress\/teaching-moments-in-the-kingdom-of-god-weakness-is-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"TEACHING MOMENTS \u201cIn the Kingdom of God\u2026 Weakness is Strength\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s been 40 years now walking with my Lord but in the early part of my journey with the Lord, I tried desperately to hold my life together as it was falling apart. \u00a0I often felt weak and vulnerable, <\/em>which were my greatest fears. But, I discovered how the Lord used my weakness and vulnerabilities<\/em> to become my greatest strengths<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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How many of us hate feeling weak and vulnerable?<\/em> It is natural to protect ourselves from danger, failure, fears, pain, loss, and all circumstances where we feel powerless. The truth is, we all like being in control<\/strong>, right? But, were we created to be in control or is the Lord the one who is really<\/em> in control? Think about it? We will do anything to feel or think we can manage our lives without the Lord. The flesh<\/em> has taught us strategies and skills to help us manage life without the Lord. Think of all the self-help and Christian books. Some even teach us how to use the Bible to manage life without depending on or trusting the Lord to be our Source<\/strong>. Our Lord uses circumstances in our lives to transform and conform the soul from its dependence on the flesh<\/em> to dependence on Him alone, as its Source for Life<\/strong>. As you recall from our previous blogs, THE HUMBLE THE LORD TEACH HIS WAYS,<\/strong> the flesh <\/em>is man\u2019s ways and strategies used to get his needs met without Christ<\/em>. Today, let me share some wonderful things I have discovered on my journey when I felt lost, weak, vulnerable and hurting\u2026 THE LORD IS<\/strong> MY<\/strong> (whatever I needed Him to be during my moment of need).<\/em><\/p>\n

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Firstly, intimacy with the Lord is a beautiful relationship<\/strong> with the Lord. It is not grasped with the mind alone but is the revealing and unfolding of Christ within our hearts or our spirits as we walk through life\u2019s challenges in dependence on Him.<\/strong> Let me explain. Over the years, I learned to memorize scriptures and quote scriptures. As I noted in my previous blogs on humility<\/em>, He is not interested in how much I know, but how willing I am to allow Him to be\u2026 THE LORD IS MY<\/strong>; the totality of who HE IS… THE GREAT I AM<\/strong> within me. And, that is what He is after in all of our lives. We were created to be totally dependent on Him<\/strong>. And, apart from Him, we can do nothing<\/em> and everything that appears to be something, in reality of His Kingdom, is nothing, unless it originated IN Christ<\/strong>, as He lives His life through us.<\/p>\n

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In the Old Testament, our Lord describes David as, \u201cA Man After God\u2019s Own Heart.\u201d<\/em> David discovered THE LORD IS MY,<\/strong> in his own life. It was through times of failure, fear, disobedience, weakness, and vulnerability,<\/em> David discovered this divine intimacy with his Lord. There are 143 verses in the Psalms where David shared how he discovered THE LORD IS MY<\/strong> in his life. Let\u2019s look at a few from the Amplified version of the Bible.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 18:2<\/strong> – The Lord IS MY rock, MY fortress, and the one who rescues me;
MY God, MY rock and<\/em>\u00a0strength in whom I trust\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0take refuge;
MY shield, and the horn of MY salvation, MY high tower\u2014MY stronghold.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 23:1<\/strong> – The Lord\u00a0IS MY shepherd, I shall not want for anything (He is all I need).<\/p>\n

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Psalm 27:1<\/strong> -The\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS MY light and MY salvation\u2014Whom shall I fear?
The\u00a0Lord\u00a0is the refuge\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0fortress of MY life\u2014Whom shall I dread?<\/p>\n

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Psalm 28:7<\/strong> – The\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS MY strength and MY [impenetrable] shield;

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Psalm 34:18<\/strong> – The\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS near to the heartbroken and He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).<\/p>\n

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Psalm 94:22 <\/strong>– But the\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS MY high tower\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0defense, and MY God the rock of MY refuge.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 103:8<\/strong> – The\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in compassion\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0lovingkindness.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 118:6<\/strong> – The\u00a0Lord\u00a0IS on MY side; I will not fear. What can [mere] man do to me?<\/p>\n

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These scriptures reveal the wonders of the how the Lord Himself made Himself real to His beloved David amid family dissensions, sin, failures, an attack against his life, loss of his kingdom, disobedience to God, and the list goes on-and-on, but David discovered THE LORD IS MY<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Secondly, our brother Paul discovered who THE LORD IS<\/strong> during the challenges he faced when he was imprisoned, persecuted, stoned, sick, weak, and dealing with a physical weakness he prayed and asked the Lord to deliver him from.\u00a0 Paul wrote:<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong>2 Corinthians 12:7-10<\/strong> – Because of the surpassing greatness\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0harass me\u2014to keep me from exalting myself!\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me;\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>but He has said to me,\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you<\/strong>\u00a0[My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough\u2014always available\u2014regardless of the situation];\u00a0<\/strong>for<\/strong>\u00a0[My]\u00a0<\/strong>power is being perfected<\/strong>\u00a0[and is completed and shows itself most effectively]\u00a0<\/strong>in<\/strong>\u00a0[your]\u00a0WEAKNESS<\/strong>.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses<\/strong>, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So I am well pleased with weaknesses,<\/strong> with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God\u2019s strength].<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Over and over, the scriptures attest to our weakness<\/strong> and the Lord being our STRENGTH. The Lord calls us:<\/p>\n