Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. Psalm 6:2
Many years ago, a man dressed in dirty jeans and a doeskin shirt stood on his one good leg beside a tall, rusty device at the Fredericton exhibition, with a huge mallet in his hand. He cried out to the passers-by to urge them to pay a quarter to test their strength. Those who took his offer would swing the mallet as hard as they could to strike the platform at the bottom of the device. Striking the platform caused a metal indicator to shoot upward on a rail toward a large gong at the top. If the platform was struck hard enough, the indicator slid all the way up, and cause the gong to sound. Very seldom did any of those who attempted the feat manage to get the gong to sound. Once in a long time, someone powerful enough would come along and succeed. Most of the attempts were by young men, anxious to show off their strength. Many of the men simply smiled and passed on. These men, I thought, were afraid for people to find out how weak they were. As long as they didn’t swing the mallet, nobody would know about their inabilities. They were like most Christians today, fearful to venture out in service for God for fear people will find out their shortcomings.
David was Israel’s mightiest and most successful king. And yet he was not afraid to admit he was weak, as our text indicates. He understood that weakness when he encountered the bear and the lion, yet he faced them. He understood his weakness when he heard Goliath’s bellow, yet he crossed the brook and challenged the giant. He was deeply aware of his weakness when the armies of his enemies attacked, but he pressed onward into the fight. Because he knew he was weak, David must rely on the Lord for strength. And when he was victorious, he would give all glory to his Lord.
Are you afraid to swing the mallet today? What are you holding back from what the Lord would have you do for Him? What service for your Lord could you perform, if you would but confess your weakness and trust in Him?
Finding out how weak we are is not a bad thing. Confessing our weakness is the only way to become useful for our Saviour. -Jim MacIntosh