In my weakness I am strong

Last week I started getting sick…and I mean “knock out” sick---the kind where I just want to sleep forever. It’s not exactly typical for me.

By Saturday I was getting worried—it seemed to no t be improving and I was expected to lead worship at two services on Sunday…from 3:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. I was thinking, “will I make it?”

So I started praying with a friend and he was telling me declare healing over my life and to live by faith. I did do that. I prayed a lot but on Sunday I felt a bit dizzy.  My voice was beginning to fade. 

I decided to press through it. I even used a stool for the first service so that I could rest a bit.

But by the second service my voice was really suffering. I could barely get words out, let alone a melody by half way through it.

EVEN SO… something amazing happened.

The presence of God was probably the thickest I remember it in a long time in the church. I could sense the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. And I kept laughing. It was making me laugh that people were able to worship and go deeper regardless of the music.  Many people remarked at the JOY in the room…reminded me of Psalm 16 v. 11…  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

In fact, people came up to me afterwards and said “I need to tell you that people were coming in off the streets because of the worship.”

 

Today my friend Fiona told me a guy came in off the street and responded to a call for prayer even though he had just come in at the end. Fiona told me there were people standing in the aisles just to hear what was going on.

There was such joy and peace in His presence. I’m really grateful God came and ministered so powerfully.

It’s not about the music at all in the end—it’s about the faith that we have in what God can do in the UNSEEN. I was trusting God to lead the worship—to go beyond my quacking and straining. In our weakness, He really wants to be the strength.

I think the bible is full of those examples…where he wants to make it clear to us that our own strength is not what gets us there.  Think of Gideon with his army,  Jericho and the walls, Joshophat and the singers….  We don’t like to be put in that place of weakness. We want to feel competent and prepared. I’m all about preparation—but in the end, it’s the impossible things I want to be asking for. I want God to be lifted high and receive the glory due His name.

 All too often without our weaknesses to keep us in check, who gets the glory? God doesn’t share glory (Isaiah 42:8) I think this is why it’s good to boast about our weakness! I guess on Sunday it was a clear example of this and I’m really grateful for that. I don’t like being sick, but I’ve been getting some good rest and I think that’s been good, too.