I am surprised that I am being used by God at all. Why? Because I would count myself among the weak. I am not emotionally a giant. I know enough to know that I don’t know much. I fight for the right words at the right time.
In Psalm 41, God is the God of the weak. He is God of those who can not help themselves. Of course, we are all weak if we have the right view of ourselves. It is when we are weak that God makes us strong. That is what is so amazing to me. I have never been weaker than I am at present. However, God’s strength is still with me.
How does your weakness come through? Do you see God’s strength because of it?
Psalm 41
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
2 The LORD protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.
4 I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b]against me.
10 But may you have mercy on me, LORD;
raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 Because of my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.
13 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Questions
- What does the LORD do for the weak?
- What forces are working against the psalmist?
- How does the psalmist expect justice?
- In what ways are you weak?
- How does God sustain you in your weakness?
Plymothian 
1. The LORD delivers them in times of trouble, He protects and preserves them, and sustains them.
2. There is a disease that afflicts him, as well as mentioning that he has enemies. He also has a friend that betrayed him.
3. He expects to triumph over them because God has sustained Him and not handed him over.
4. I am so weak and in so many ways. Like Ps.40 says, “I have more sin than hairs on my head”. I am weak in terms of devotion to God. I am weak when it comes to being focused, and diligent. I struggle with being content with how God made people.
5. God has been very good to me. Despite practically abandoning Him at times, He remains faithful to me. Despite the fact that I am Gomer, He has been my Hosea. Praise God! He continues to give me second chances, He continues to bless me with good school work, despite at times it becoming secondary.
1.The Lord protects and delivers them.
2. His enemies are working against him, and a sickness.
3. The Psalmist expects that because he has turned to God, God will have mercy upon him and will give the Psalmist the ability to have revenge on those who turned against him.
4. In so many ways. As C.S. Lewis says Pride is my greatest sin, everything comes back to this. I am weak in many ways and am critical of my weaknesses because I expect myself to be perfect and every “flaw” or “failure” is “unfair” and upsetting. But also my initial, sinful response is often “My vices are not bad enough to mention”. I am weak is self-control and in living as one who finds her identity in Christ. My mouth is constantly getting me into trouble and a weakness is not having enough motivation to keep a closer guard over what I say.
5. God speaks to me, reminds me of my failings and gives grace when I fail. He is good to me in my weakness. My identity needs to be found in Him and when I find myself (often) basing my worth on what other people say or think about me, God is good to remind me that I am His and my identity in Him is what matters. He gives me peace when I am fearful and distressed because I lack trust.
1. What does the LORD do for the weak?
Delivers them in times of trouble.
Protects and preserves them from their enemies.
Counts them among the blessed.
Sustains and restores them when they are sickly.
2. What forces are working against the psalmist?
Both his enemies and his closest friend are working against him.
3. How does the psalmist expect justice?
Because he is God’s virtuous, obedient child, the psalmist considers justice due.
4. In what ways are you weak?
I am considerably weak when it comes to accepting the help of others (Problematically, I can never accept a friend’s hand.) and saying “no” to extracurricular (Oftentimes, I swim with water well over my head because I think I can commit to anything and everything.)
5. How does God sustain you in your weakness?
Even though I act as if I own all the independence in the world, I am completely and absolutely dependent upon God’s aid. He’s forever reminding me I can’t go it alone. Additionally, even when I have put far too much on my plate, He always helps me to get the important stuff finished and grants me undeserved peace and rest.
1. What does the LORD do for the weak?
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness restore him to full health. Protects him and keeps him alive.
2. What forces are working against the psalmist?
Enemies speak of him in malice, all who hate him whisper about him, even his friends lifted heed against him.
3. How does the psalmist expect justice?
He wants the Lord to be gracious to him, and raise him us in order that he can repay them. He wants the Lord to heal him.
4. In what ways are you weak?
Oh boy!…in many ways, self-control would be on amongst the top not giving time for God to work in my life but jumping fully in. Patients and trust. I find weakness in my anxiety and stress to reach curtain standards and marks set before me. I am week in honoring God with every fiber of my being. I am week in so many ways but Scripture comforts me to remind me that He is strong and His power sustains and gives me hope.
5. How does God sustain you in your weakness?
Though prayer and reading the Word I find peace that even though I fall short and my weakness is contagious I know His love for me can overcome anything. I continently remind myself to not put pride and my own desires before His for my life and let Him lead. He is still God and He is still on the throne and He can empower me to do what He wills me to do. I know I have the power of the Holy Spirit in side me that gives me the desire to fight those weaknesses and as He intercede to the Father on my behalf He comforts and sustains me. Also though people that are in my life who encourage me and lift me up in prayer.
1.The Lord delivers them in times of trouble, He protects and preserves them, he does not give them over to the desire of their foes. The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.
2. Both his friends and enemies.
3. He asks God for His grace so that then he can take revenge against his enemies.
4. I am weak in many uncountable ways. I fall and stumble in self-control, I lack patience, and love. I fail to be faithful at all times, and I hurt people knowing, many more times not knowing. To go into more detail, language is considered to be one of my greatest weaknesses for I am studying in a language, in a place not familiar to me at all. I have to work harder not only to get through the assignments, but socially adapt to a whole new dynamic of culture. I am weak that there isn’t much I can offer to others, for now I am weak and have been receiving much more from them.
5. But my weakness teach me what genuine grace means. Every success, every triumph has been able to glorify God’s name as He was the one taking the weak, making her strong and using that weakness to fulfill that one task He patiently had waited for so long. God sustains me in my weakness teaching me that His grace is more than enough for me. He sustains my head high with the knowledge that I am who I am through His grace alone, and if there is anything to boast about it is my weaknesses. Anything accomplished even in future times will be through his grace alone, and there is peace in me not for the things I know He can do, but for the assurance I receive from having seem Him work in my life over and over again.
1. What does the LORD do for the weak?
The Lord delivers, protects and sustains the weak in his distress.
2. What forces are working against the psalmist?
The Psalmist is under pressure and torment from his close friend and his enemies. He feels betrayed and left alone, but is crying out to God, who is compassionate in the man’s obedience.
3. How does the psalmist expect justice?
The man expects justice because of the character of God. He also expects justice as a result of his obedience to God.
In what ways are you weak?
I am weak in humility, self-control and genuine love. I am also weak as a person from all of the responsibilities that I have placed on myself.
How does God sustain you in your weakness?
God sustains me through community. He has blessed me with people that teach me the opposite of individualism, and create in me a dependent heart for God and community.
1.What does the LORD do for the weak? God delivers them in times of trouble, protects and preserves them and counts them among the blessed of the land. The LORD does not give them over to the desire of their foes, but sustains them and restores them.
2.What forces are working against the psalmist? His sin, but also his enemies that give bad accounts of him, slandering. The influence of those around him.
3.How does the psalmist expect justice? The LORD will repay them for what they have done.
4.In what ways are you weak? I am weak when frustration of a lack of accomplishment overwhelm me. Sometimes I can let it pass but other times it climbs up to me and I seem to have no control of my emotions. I am very weak in my disciplines and dedication at times. Yet all of this is a result of my sin.
5.How does God sustain you in your weakness? He shows me He is in control and although I might be overwhelmed He knows what is going on and what is going to happen. He sends people that encourage me and speak the truth into my ears, when all I hear is lies.