Till He Was Strong

“And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction”

2 Chronicles 26:15-16

Did you know that it is not only the weak who are in danger of a spiritual fall? There are those who think, “if only I were stronger, then I wouldn’t be so (fill in the blank).” But this isn’t true. Over and over again in God’s word, it is the strong who find themselves in the worst predicaments. Uzziah is one example. He was famous. He was helped by God. “Till he was strong.” Do you feel the warning?

What Makes the Strong So Weak?

Why is it that the strong find themselves so often in opposition to God? Because those who are strong are tempted to believe the lie that their strength is enough. Enough to fight sin. Enough to find wisdom. Enough to do what is right. Who needs help from God when you’re strong enough on your own? And God sees this pride and opposes it (James 4:6). Uzziah grew proud, “to his destruction.” His strength was actually his greatest weakness.

What Makes the Weak So Strong?

Yet God loves to use the weak things to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:27). Why? Because the weak are seeing themselves correctly. They say, “What do we have that we did not receive” (1 Cor 4:7). They know that God does not delight in the strength of men, but in the fear of God (Psalm 147:10-11). They know that it is the Spirit who gives life, and the flesh is no help at all (John 6:63). And the weak know where their help comes from. It is not from within, but rather it is strength that comes from God, so that the Apostle Paul can say, “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).

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So it is not a matter of strong or weak, but where we place our trust. If we are prideful then we will find ourselves in opposition to God. But if we humble ourselves, and see ourselves as we ought, then God gives more grace. May we be the blessed weak who lean on a strong God. May we run from self-trust and run towards the throne of grace for help in our time of need. May God choose us, the weak, to shame the strong.

Jacob Crouch 2024