July 11th - 1 Corinthians 2:1-3

1 Corinthians 2:1-3 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. I once heard about a church that regularly visited the houses nearby. They sent out people two by two and many people got involved. A young girl nervously agreed to join in. She went to one house and a large man came to the door asking in a gruff voice what she wanted. She struggled to speak and then, in a quivering voice, she blurted out: “I’ve come to tell you that Jesus loves you.” The man didn’t know what to say, so he slammed the door in her face. He went inside and slumped into a chair weeping. He could hardly believe what had just happened. He thought deeply about the bravery of the young woman and out of curiosity he went to church, where before long he made a commitment to follow Christ. I love that story because God often speaks through our weakness more easily than through our strength. That was certainly Paul’s experience. Most of us feel unsure of ourselves when we are given the opportunity to speak about our faith, but we are often at our most powerful when we are feeling nervous and weak. Question Can you think of a time when God used you particularly powerfully in a time of weakness? Prayer Lord, help me to be willing to speak up for You, even when I am feeling weak and tongue-tied. Amen