Strength In Weakness

My daughter Jess, when she was little, got exhausted on a walk in the woods. “I can’t walk any further,” she sobbed through tears. After a rest and a snack, I explained that we had to either walk out the distance we’d come, or we could walk a shorter distance to our campsite. Given the choice, she decided to go on, and did it easily. As we reflected on the day over the campfire, she said she’d learned that you can do more than you think you can! The man in today’s story learned a similar lesson. A shriveled hand, whose limitations he had probably resented all his life, was capable, in response to Jesus’ command, of being stretched out, even though, humanly speaking, it was impossible. I wonder if there are similar restrictions we put on ourselves when we say “I couldn’t do that!” in response to God’s call. Just like the man with the shriveled hand, the apostle Paul had a weakness too – a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). It wasn’t healed, but he learned that weaknesses can be useful in God’s kingdom (2 Corinthians 12:8–10). No doubt Paul was uncomfortable; no doubt the man here was initially embarrassed when Jesus drew attention to him. But God’s strength is always made perfect in our weaknesses.