Sometimes you just don’t have it. Sometimes it just doesn’t matter what you do, you’re just tired. You get worn out and exhausted. Life keeps coming at you and it seems like you don’t have the strength to keep going. Nothing seems to work right, but you don’t have the energy to fight it. It’s in times like these that the power of God really shines through. I don’t know about you, but I have the tendency to believe that I’m good enough or smart enough on my own to make some things happen. I try to take the glory and recognition for things when I know it wasn’t me who actually accomplished anything. I have the ability to lead people in worship not because I’m so great at it, but because God has given me the ability. Sometimes I can forget that and then I believe that I was so smart or brilliant that I put things together and made them work out. Then there are times like this past weekend when I was so beat from the week leading up to Sunday that I had no idea how things were going to get worked out. That’s when God steps in a crafts the perfect moments for me to see that He was in control the whole time.

For me, exhaustion is my ‘thorn’ that keeps me from being conceited (look up 2 Corinthians 12). In those times when I just don’t have enough to make it, God steps in and gives me what I need to finish a task. Sometimes that task is spending time with some new members who could very well become friends soon. Sometimes it is leading worship in a hot church. Sometimes it is making it through a weekend filled with terrible news. Whatever it may be for you, God’s perfect strength is always enough to overcome. So like Paul (the apostle and Baloche), I will boast in the Lord who is worthy.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Now, I’m going to ask for a little bit of blogger/preacher/I’m writing this to make my point and you’re not leeway. This thought came to me today as I was spending some time this morning with my great friend, sister, and mind-sharer, Danielle Endejan. As we were talking about life and the struggles and joys, she said something that struck me. She said that she hated that she was so stupid and that she wished she would just be able to get the things that God has shown her so she can move on. Right at that instant I had a gospel moment. We are God’s sheep and He wants to lead us. We get in trouble when we think we know the way and try to lead ourselves. Then we run into walls and fall off cliffs and stuff like that. The beauty in the falling is that He is always there to catch us. After He catches us, He gently points us back in the right direction. His delights in us even when we are stupid and continue to try and do our own thing. What I said to Danielle is that His brilliance is my greater in our stupidity. I know that I have done some stupid things in my lifetime in the name of helping people or being ‘that’ guy. You know, the helper guy that everyone comes to. There are a few times that I get this right, and it’s not because of anything I’ve done. It’s mostly because there are SO many times that I mess things up because I’m trying to work on my own power and I end up doing more harm than good…so I think. But sometimes those situations get turned around for good and then I realize that God just made himself look brilliant in my stupidity. I have had to learn that it’s okay for me to make God look brilliant. I’m not that smart. My knowledge of ANYTHING comes straight from Him. He put it there. He sustains it. I’m not that good of a songwriter. I’ve tried to do that on my own. I stink. But when I take the time to focus on what God wants to say through me, it generally comes out so much better. I am sooooo okay with that.

Are you able to take glory in your stupidity? Are you ready to embrace your inner sheep? What things have you done that were really stupid that God turned into something great? Are you willing to accept that it’s not about your amazing ability to do anything and that it’s waaaay more about how masterful and intricate the thoughts of God really are? That’s a big thing to let go of in your mind. I know it is because I struggle with it everyday. My brain partner Danielle struggles with it everyday. She is probably dealing with it right now as I type this at almost midnight on Friday. But it doesn’t stop God from being God. The question is whether or not you will let Him do His thing through you, or will you be stupid enough to keep trying to do it yourself?

It’s Advent season and we are fully anticipating the coming of Christ. This past Sunday we talked about Jesus being a Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6). We talked about the oft overlooked Greek name for Mighty God, El-Gibhor. When you look at this name, a word that you find in the definitions of both is strong. As I sat and listened, all I could think about that my God is strong strong. That’s more than just regular strong, that’s super strong.

I was so impacted by the concept that this baby that was coming to the world in Jerusalem that night was going to be strong strong. Who knew that this baby would come to the world so small and helpless, but then be the Savior of the world? That’s strong strong. We know because of the seasons that when Jesus came to the world, His whole goal was to die for our sins. That’s strong strong. They didn’t know that 2000 years ago. They had no idea that this baby would be so special.

There should be great hope in knowing that the God we serve is strong strong. I don’t know what you guys are going through right now, but knowing that the Savior of the world is coming to die for my sins because He was the only one who could should bring you much hope and joy. Even better, you can engage the world with this hope. I love having a God that is strong strong.

²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

So I was reading this passage a couple days ago as I was preparing for Sunday. Worship leaders always try to find a scripture that will work with a particular song or theme that they are trying to follow for the service. As I was searching and reading I came across Isaiah 40. We all know this passage for the famous 31st verse. I decided that I would take a trip back a little and see what words led up to that verse.  As always, I loved what I found. It seemed to fit so perfectly with my life at this time.

My wife and I have been dealing with the loss of our job and the difficulty in finding a new one. Of course, we are hoping that something works out soon because we have a house to pay for and 2 little girls to feed. Even though we know full well that God is taking care of us and knows our every step, sometimes we feel like the Israelites in verse 27. We feel like our cause is being disregarded by God.

However, we are gaining strength as we wait on the Lord. This is such an interesting concept. As we wait on the Lord…wait…not moving forward…not making plans…not staying on top of the bills…not having food…strength is rising. I am constantly amazed at how that continues to work. We have sent resumes all over the country over the past week or so and we have heard back from a couple. They have all said the same thing. But we still have hope. Things are starting to take shape in a few places, and we are just waiting to see what God’s gonna do. If you wait on the Lord, strength will rise…