It is a well-observed spiritual truth that suffering is among the chief means for deepening communion with God. The fellowship of sharing in Jesus’ sufferings brings joy. Faith grows up in the broken soil of our pains. Hope, refined by trials, increases our longing for heaven. When I’m under the shadow of suffering, God’s promises renew my strength. Such times cause me to anticipate the weight of glory promised for my eternal future.

The fullness of God’s grace and mercy will only be granted in eternity. Yet His comforts are often bestowed, in smaller measure, here on earth. The Lord is tender and kind. He gives and takes away. He brings affliction but never too much, and restores the soul like with Job after his testing.

I will add my minor testimony to the chorus of many saints, to God’s faithfulness through trial. I have suffered a little and I have been graciously restored. I agree with all the others that suffering is indeed good in that it draws my soul closer to God. God’s glory has been revealed to me more clearly through suffering than it has in times of comfort.

Here is a dilemma. If the greatest pleasure God can give me is the gracious gift of Himself, if He is the most desirable object of my affection, and He gives Himself to me most fully in times of suffering, how am I to measure God’s many gifts of comfort? If communion with God is my greatest earthly experience and the greatest of these experiences come through suffering, what do I make of my comforts? There is such tension here, because while suffering I eagerly long for comfort. And when comfort and relief arrive I indeed rejoice. But if, as a result of such rest, my communion with God diminishes – even slightly – how do I appropriately delight in God’s comfort – as surely I ought to – if in comfort my fellowship with God is calmer?

Paul writes in Philippians 4:12 “… I also know how to live in the prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” I believe his special insight was not just related to living in suffering, but had as much to do with how to live in prosperity. I know that I need grace and mercy to survive times of suffering. But I also know that I desperately need grace and mercy to survive prosperity and comfort.

I have not counted, but I bet there are more warnings in the Word to those who have riches and comfort than there are to those who are in need. Being needy can be a wonderful advantage for building strong faith and rich communion with God. Comfort can be a deadly, soul-lulling disease, resulting in total loss. Neither state is inherently so. Neediness can cause people to covet and steal. Riches can enable generosity for the relief to many, to the glory of God. But I would guess that with regard to communion with God, the path of suffering is smoother than the road of riches.

Whatever the road, God’s grace can keep my fellowship with him full. However, learning the secrets of prosperity may be harder than learning the secrets of suffering. That’s because suffering, in faith, reflexively pushes my soul toward God. In the same way that I instinctively draw my hand away from a hot flame, my soul, in faith, draws to God in the heat of adversity. But when there is neither extreme heat nor extreme cold, but perfect warmth my soul relaxes and rests in its comfort. It is at these times I am most likely to drift, to wander, to meander. Drawing close to God is not as reflexive without suffering. But it is not impossible. I need to learn the secrets of communion with God in times of comfort and prosperity.

I have not learned this secret yet. I have only recently received mercy and restored comfort from the Lord after a season of affliction. I’m still getting used to my new comfortable clothes. But I think one secret for preserving communion with God can be found in James 5:13 – that is, singing. If I have received cheerful comfort from the Lord I am deeply obliged to sing praises. The more comfort – the more singing. Many psalms beautifully weave cries of longing for God during distress with songs of delight for the oil of gladness. One lesson in the school of godly comfort is singing. I need to sing to the measure of my blessing. If I am not singing, inside and out, I should beware of my comforts. If I sing praises, I will honor my God – the God of all comfort.

Lord cause my heart to sing, my mouth to declare your praises. Oh, that I might honor you and preserve my faith in times of blessing as well as in times of need. Amen.

I don’t look up enough. I think God wants me to look up a lot and gaze at the sun, moon and stars. God made them to be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. In order to use the stars this way requires a lot of observation. Civilizations throughout history have observed the heavens and invented systems and used them for measuring seasons, and making maps to find their way. To make use of this inherent functionality of the stars required them to look intensely, observing and recording over long periods of time. Not only did they have to observe, record, and analyze the stars in order to understand there function, once they established these systems, putting them to use required people to look at them all the time. I suspect that God has an ulterior motive in requiring us to spend so much time star gazing. That is, to make us remember Him. When I stare up at the night sky, full of stars, I cannot help but to feel my own smallness.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” Psalm 8:3-4

Coming to grips with my own smallness also leads me to praise God for His greatness and grandeur.

“[It is God] Who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number.” Job 9:8-10

“He who made the Pleiades and Orion and changes deep darkness into morning, who also darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is His name.” Amos 5:8

But as one who lives in the modern world I don’t often look up at the sky. That’s because I have all sorts of gadgets and documents that allow me to measure time, days, seasons and years without ever having to look up. In fact, if I had to rely on the moon and stars for this information I’d be in trouble, because I am astronomically illiterate.

Since I don’t know how to read the sky, and I have other tools to meet my need for measuring time, I don’t regularly look up at the sky. I wonder how much my lack of star gazing is affecting my awe of God. If being struck by my finitude and amazed at God’s infinite nature is part of God’s intent for the stars – my lack of looking will abrogate this effect in my life. Therefore, in the same way that my modern sedentary job requires me to artificially exercise by going for a run to stay physically healthy, I should also make myself go outside on clear nights and spend some time looking up. If I don’t get my fill of the stars out of necessity, I should probably star-gaze out of humility – or rather, for humility.

Lord I want to be filled with awe at your grandeur and majesty. Teach me and help me to use all available means of grace to get that awe into my soul, even such simple means of grace as looking at the stars and praising you, the maker of heaven and earth. Amen.

How incredibly blessed these unnamed shepherds were to hear the multitude of heavenly host declare the glory of God and the gospel of Christ! This majestic revelation was an unexpected explosion of grace. God interrupted their night with a glorious proclamation about a Savior. How is it that such a display should be presented to but a few unnamed shepherds? Isn’t such a wonderful announcement, made through such an unearthly testimony, worthy of a wider audience? O, but it does have a wider audience, an audience that even includes me; I observe it in the Gospel of Luke. While the testimony of a multitude of heavenly hosts is spectacular, the testimony of God’s Word is far greater. In His Word God reveals the same message to me, 2000 years later, as He did for the shepherds that Holy night.

What did it the shepherds do when they heard this testimony? They went straight away, with haste, to see this child they had heard about. They had not planned on traveling into Bethlehem that night, but hearing of the birth of the Messiah they wanted nothing more than to see Him right away. And after finding and beholding the child, they began to make known all the statements they had been told. They told it to everyone they met, such that all who heard wondered about these things. Finally, when this night of nights was over, they did not stop glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen.

O my soul – be like one of these shepherds. When God reveals Himself, listen. Open your eyes to how He has revealed Himself so richly in His Word. When you hear the testimony of the Lord then go straight away to setting your eyes on Jesus. Behold your God and be amazed. Rejoice, worship, and delight yourself in the glory of the Lord. Then make known the statements you have heard. Speak of what you’re told, giving glory and praise to God.

Mark 4:24-25

Whoever has what?

Jesus said, “Whoever has, to him more shall be given.” What’s worse, not to “have” in this verse means to lose everything. What is it that someone must “have” in order to receive more or keep from loosing everything? What an urgent puzzle to solve! Can there be anything more important to me this morning than to inquire of God concerning what this “have” could be?


Of course the answer is simple, so much so that a young child could provide it. The answer is Christ. Whoever has Christ shall receive more, whoever does not have Christ, even when he has in this world will ultimately be lost. However, as simple and true as this answer is, I think Jesus is saying more about it. He seems to be deliberately not filling in all the blanks. If you did not already know the gospel, the answer would not be so simple. There is a degree of intentional obscuring going on in this parable. In fact, just a couple verses earlier, Jesus says… “nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light.” He then exhorts us “he who has ears to hear, let him hear” and then again “take care what you listen to.” Jesus talks about hidden and secret things that are to be revealed, then urges us to listen carefully, then He speaks a parable in the form of a riddle. Is there not something hidden in these words that can be revealed? Have we not been set up to look for a secret that can be brought to light?

The answer to the riddle is simple. The reason for making it a riddle in the first place makes me think that there is more to it. Far be it from me to try and solve such a riddle completely. It is enough for me to find some facet of revelation through which my soul might be “given more besides.”

It seems that “my standard of measure” is one of the chief concerns of this passage. First, I have been exhorted twice in a row with regard to how and what I listen to. I would presume that my “standard of measure” relates to this hearing and listening. There is an urgency, therefore, not only that I hear something, but that I “consider carefully” (NIV) to what I am hearing. Specifically, I need to consider “the measure” (i.e. the quantity and quality) with which I am listening. I need to give heed to Jesus’ exhortation and consider the measure with which I listen. If I neglect His exhortation I will not listen very much or very often. If I have a small scoop, so to speak, and only occasionally read the word and consider it briefly, my measure will be small and what I receive will be less. If I have a voracious appetite for the word and come to it with big baskets and heavy duty sacks, “my measure” will be large and I will receive more. The promise of Psalm 81 comes to mind, “open your mouth wide and I will fill it…”, “oh that My people would listen to Me… I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

The “what” that Jesus speaks of having, in answer to the riddle, is Christ Himself. The reality of whether I have Him or not, or the degree to which I receive Him relates to “my measure.” No measure; no Christ; lose everything. Some measure; some Christ; (by His grace) gain more. Great measure; more Christ; even more besides.

Psalms 128:1-2

God is the ultimate spice! When my ultimate intention and goal in life is to fear God and walk in His ways, His abundant blessings extend even to such simple things as increasing the enjoyment of eating food. In other words, a true engagement with the living God takes simple things like eating food and multiplies their enjoyment so that they become both richer and happier experiences in themselves – but also, and more importantly, they increase our enjoyment and deepen our delight in God Himself.

I could make a dangerous mistake here, and think that God’s intention for me – in being good to me – is simply to make sure that I have food. Certainly, that God simply provides such necessities as food for me is a very good thing. Yet, if I stop there, and simply utter a quick prayer of thanks, that such food has been faithfully provided, I will miss out on a greater good that God has for me. He blesses me (makes me happy) when I fear Him and walk in His ways. This blessing extends itself, and plays itself out, not just by giving me such good things, but amazingly, by his grace, He also grants me the capacity to receive such things with happily! It is entirely possible to eat food with thankfulness and genuine gratitude, yet not happily. Thankfulness and happiness are not the same things. God blesses us with both. So when I eat a good steak, for instance, I not only thank God for needed sustenance – but I utter groans that words can not express as I enjoy and am very happy to have (with thankfulness) and enjoy (happily) such blessings from God. Fearing and knowing God intensifies all such enjoyments!

Yet I cannot stop there or I might be guilty of loving God’s gifts more than the giver. And so for me, when I enjoy things like great steaks, and experience happiness in the eating, I flag that genuine response (the happiness in eating), I flag it in my mind and when I go to God’s word (the most delicious of all “steaks”) I ask God to produce the same “mmmmmm” in my soul, the same happiness and enjoying in eating His Word. This happens of course when the word, by the power of the Spirit enables me to see more clearly, the all satisfying glory of God, in the face of Christ. When God is, in this way, received in my heart, it is not just with thankfulness, but with great happiness!

O Lord, be to me more desirable than any treasure on earth. As I put your Word into my mind and heart, let me receive delightful mouthfuls of the finest of foods. And please Lord, don’t let me walk away from such experiences merely with a polite “thank you,” but grant me, by your grace, a deep enjoyment and happiness as I view your glory by seeing Jesus Christ more clearly. Amen.

]]> http://consideringchrist.org/blog/god-is-the-ultimate-spice/feed/ 0 http://consideringchrist.org/blog/listen-to-the-joy-of-the-lord/ http://consideringchrist.org/blog/listen-to-the-joy-of-the-lord/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2004 19:17:41 +0000 Eric Holter http://ccdev.ericholter.com/?p=135 Meditation on Zephaniah 3:14-15, 17 - There are preventers that can keep my heart from the joy to which it has been called.]]> “Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more.”

“The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

Zephaniah 3:14-15, 17

At, first, when I read verses like these in Zephaniah, verses that extol me to shout with joy, or to rejoice and exalt with all my heart, at first my heart rises with the possibility of such an astounding and consuming joy in God. Quickly following this spark, however, sadness often comes because my heart, in fact, is not like this. Such exuberance of joy and gladness displayed in such active expressions as shouting for joy are not typical of my emotional currents. Yet the occasion that calls for such joyful, glad celebration has been more completely delivered to me than it had been for those to whom these verses were originally written. They originally promised a physical deliverance from armies of oppressors. I have been given a greater deliverance; I have been delivered from sin. All God’s judgments have been thoroughly taken away from me. He has utterly defeated my enemies. Why shouldn’t my heart rejoice and shout joyfully since I have received, in full, these promises?

In truth, my heart may rejoice, and does rejoice by the grace of God, yet there are preventers that can keep my heart from the joy to which it has been called, or that mitigate and stifle the fullness of its joy. What are these evil, stubborn preventers; these robbers and mufflers of joy? In a word they are my sin, residing yet in my flesh, which daily and constantly battles against my faith to the end that I will fail to lay hold of the glorious victory God has already won through Christ’s overcoming on the cross. By the spirit I may have the spiritual eyes to see and the spiritual ears to hear the victory song of my risen Lord. But if the flesh wins its skirmishes my faith will be weakened so that the heavenly singing fades and my joy diminishes.

Oh to gain the victory, by the Spirit, over the flesh and kill my sin. Putting to death the flesh is necessary if my faith is to be strong. And when my faith is strong and I can hear more clearly the sounds of joy and my heart resonates with its chords.

The fight of faith includes daily battles, and while it has not been ordained for me to decisively win every battle, it has been ordained for me to fight a winning war, to gain ground, to push back the enemy, to grow in strength, and, praise God, to ultimately win. Therefore I will fight and engage in battle and wrestle against sin, and never give up.

Here is just one tactical maneuver I can use in my fighting. Look at verse 17 “He will exalt over you with joy, He will be quiet in his love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” At moments when my heart might not be shouting for joy I need to remember that God, though I may not hear it, is singing over me with joy and rejoicing over me with shouts of joy. While my heart might grow faint, God’s never does. While my joy might ebb and flow His never does. Let the bigness, the sovereignty, the transcendence of God always assure me that He is in control, but remember that for as infinite as God is, He is also personal, present, and emotionally engaged, more deeply than I will ever know. His call to me to rejoice with shouts of joy is not a call to originate something out from myself. It is a call to respond to His shouts of joy. To command my rejoicing is not to frustrate me by requiring something that I cannot generate – it is a command that awakens faith to see and hear the exaltation of God’s joy and to be caught up in His victory song.

Therefore my soul, when you are fighting against the deadening attacks of the flesh, fight back with faith that believes that God’s music yet plays – His songs are being sung, He is shouting with joy. Let your heart arise and think about the music of heaven – make your shouts of joy an echoing of God’s shouts of joy. Meditate and contemplates on what it will sound like when the war is over and the final battle has been won, and your faith will turn to sight and the songs of heaven will ring forth, and your ears will hear them perfectly. Listen soul; listen to the joy of the Lord.

]]> http://consideringchrist.org/blog/listen-to-the-joy-of-the-lord/feed/ 0 http://consideringchrist.org/blog/this-is-the-gate-of-the-lord/ http://consideringchrist.org/blog/this-is-the-gate-of-the-lord/#comments Sat, 15 May 2004 18:57:49 +0000 Eric Holter http://ccdev.ericholter.com/?p=116 Meditation on Psalm 118:19-21- This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!]]> “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it, I shall give thanks to Thee for Thou hast answered me; and Thou hast become my salvation.”
Psalms 118:19-21

The Psalmist cries out to God “open to me the gates of righteousness,” and so my soul cries out to God “me too Lord, open your gates to me.” The Psalmist seeks the gate, and God answering his plea shows him the gate. It is such a marvelous gate that the Psalmist rejoices and gives thanks to God for answering his cry to open the gates for him.

The Psalmist asked, he got an answer, and he thanked the Lord for such an awesome answer! But in these verses the answer itself is obscured to me. Once the Psalmist received his answer, as he sees the gates, he simply exclaims “this” is the gate of the Lord. No sooner than he has declared that “this” is the gate, he goes on to thank the Lord, not specifying what “this” is, leaving me only with an impersonal pronoun to describe this gate for which he stands giving thanks. But I can’t see what he’s pointing at because I’m only reading a transcript. I want to yell stop! Wait! What is the gate? Describe it to me, I want to enter too. But before I get any detail he’s already thanking God for showing him this amazing gate, and I can’t see it. My desire see this gate is obscured by the word “this.”

Obscured, that is, until I read the next verses. “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!” This rejected stone that become a cornerstone is the gate. Jesus the stone rejected by men is the cornerstone. “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep,” John 10:7.

Now the scene is completed, the transcript is played out. The Psalmist cries out to God “Open to me the gate” and God shows him Jesus the cornerstone of salvation. The Psalmist looks at Jesus and says “this is the gate… thou hast become my salvation… the Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!”

O my soul, cry out to God like the Psalmist, “open to me the gates of righteousness” and let Him show you Jesus. Lord you are the gate of righteousness, through you I shall enter; you are my salvation I give thanks to you. Help me to see this vision of Christ my gate, my rock, my salvation and let my spirit say with fullness “it is marvelous in my eyes.” Amen.

]]> http://consideringchrist.org/blog/this-is-the-gate-of-the-lord/feed/ 0 http://consideringchrist.org/blog/merciful-deliverance-for-the-sinking-soul/ http://consideringchrist.org/blog/merciful-deliverance-for-the-sinking-soul/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2004 18:09:08 +0000 Eric Holter http://ccdev.ericholter.com/?p=79 Meditation on Matthew 14:31 - He saves us, gently pulling us up, and invites our hearts worship.]]> “…and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14:31

Peter started out well. He took a very bold step of faith when he went over the side of the boat in order to go to Jesus on the water. But when he saw the wind and waves he took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink. O how many days do I start off full of faith in my Lord trusting Him so confidently. Yet, so many times, by the end of the day, my mind and my heart falter, and my faith begins to sink. All I can do is cry out to Him like Peter, “Save me Lord!”

How faithful and patient Jesus is to souls that are sinking, yet call out to Him. Yes, he does correct us, bringing a mild rebuke pointing out the weakness of our faith. Yet, He delivers the gentle rebuke as He takes hold of our arms and pulls us to safety.

No sooner than He has saved us and reproved us, does He invite us to worship him. He does not despise us, reject us, or terrify us with threats. He saves us, gently pulling us up, and invites our hearts worship.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me so well and so perfectly. You’re so good to me. Thank you for your long suffering with people like me who have such little faith and cry out so often. Strengthen my faith Lord. Help me to keep my eyes on you, especially when the wind and waves threaten. I love you and need you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

]]> http://consideringchrist.org/blog/merciful-deliverance-for-the-sinking-soul/feed/ 0 http://consideringchrist.org/blog/rock-of-habitation/ http://consideringchrist.org/blog/rock-of-habitation/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2003 20:33:36 +0000 Eric Holter http://ccdev.ericholter.com/?p=41 Meditation on Psalm 71:3 - Be Thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continually come]]> “Be Thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continually come.” Psalm 71:3

Jesus is my rock of habitation. He is my rock – a strong, firm, dependable fortress. This strong fortress is also a place of habitation. He is my dwelling place, a place of comfort, rest, and security. My rock of refuge is never changing, always present, and never moving. Yet I come to it continually. I inhabit my home of rock, yet I also leave it and must frequently return.


It is a testimony to my own weakness that I am so prone to wandering from my place of security and comfort. Yet in the flesh this will always be a limitation I must contend with. Right now as I meditate and ponder and pray, I am more keenly aware of what a treasure my rocky fortress is, yet I know that later, when my mind is occupied with other things, this awareness will lessen. And even now, with all my attention focused on Jesus as my rock, my capacity to grasp the glory of it is limited. I must continually come and constantly return to my rock of habitation. I need God to revive me again and again, day after day. The more I come to my Rock, the more fully I grasp His glory, the more I groan knowing that I cannot hold this glimpse for very long. Yet the more I return, the more I want to stay. John Owen, one of the great puritan thinkers and writers describes it this way in The Glory of Christ:

“Alas! We cannot here think of Christ, but we are quickly ashamed of, and troubled at, our own thoughts; so confused are they, so unsteady, so imperfect. Commonly they issue in a groan or a sigh; Oh! When shall we come unto Him? When shall we ever be with Him? When shall we see Him as He is? And if at any time He begins to give more than ordinary evidences and intimations of His glory and love unto our souls, we are not able to bear them, so as to give them any abiding residence in our minds. But ordinarily this trouble and groaning is amongst our best attainments in this world, – a trouble which I pray God, I may never be delivered from, until deliverance do come at once from this state of mortality; yea, the good Lord increase this trouble more and more in all that believe.”

C.S. Lewis put it more succinctly: “Our greatest havings are wantings.” It will do me no good to complain about my weakness, that I cannot hold steadily onto the glimpses of glory I find when I inhabit my rock of refuge. God has so ordained this limitation, while I am in this jar of clay. Yet, let me return continually to my rock. Let me contemplate often. Let me praise continually. Let me be revived again and again.

O Lord, I confess that I do not like to live with tension, yet longing for you is the ultimate tension. Please Lord, let me embrace the tension of being required to have to come continually to my rock, and accepting this fact that I must come and go often, that I might return frequently, stay longer, and yearn to dwell eternally in my rock of habitation.

]]> http://consideringchrist.org/blog/rock-of-habitation/feed/ 0 http://consideringchrist.org/blog/ascribe-strength-to-god/ http://consideringchrist.org/blog/ascribe-strength-to-god/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2003 20:27:43 +0000 Eric Holter http://ccdev.ericholter.com/?p=30 Meditation on Psalm 68:34- When I underline various passages in my daily reading of the Word, the verses that ascribe strength to God are frequently marked.]]> “Ascribe strength to God;” Psalm 68:34

I love to ascribe strength to God. When I underline various passages in my daily reading of the Word, the verses that ascribe strength to God are frequently marked. Similarly I tend to underline verses that declare my weakness and utter dependence on the strength of my God.

Meditating on my own weakness and dependence is a deeply satisfying devotion only because I can also ascribe strength to God. The weaker I am, the more I need God to be strong. The stronger I see God’s strength, the more I realize how weak I am.

There is a crucial truth I need to know for my joy to be full when contemplating God’s strength and my weakness. This is, that God is for me. If God were not for me, then His strength and my weakness would cause nothing but dread. That God is for me means that His strength goes to work on my behalf. Verse 28 of Psalm 68 is one promise among so many that God, in all His glorious strength, is for me, “Show Thyself strong, O God, who hast acted on our behalf.”

The ultimate proof that God puts His strength to work on behalf of the weak is in Christ. What greater confirmation is there, that God puts His strength to work on behalf of the weak, than in the cross? God’s strength, power, righteousness, and holiness were vindicated there, and in that same work God provided salvation for the weak. All of God’s promises to be strong on behalf of the weak were gloriously established on the cross. Having done this, how much more will He also be our strength to meet our daily needs and help us in our constant weakness?

O my soul, delight to ascribe strength to God and do not fear weakness for God will show Himself strong on your behalf.

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