In Genesis chapter 48, Jacob does something interesting while giving blessings to Joseph's son Ephraim and Manasseh (The fact that he is blessing them as sons is also different, because he is basically giving Joseph a double blessings - Joseph gets a son's blessing and Joseph's sons get blessed as brothers of Joseph)...he gives the more important blessing to Ephraim, the younger son. Even Joseph doesn't like that Jacob does that (Even though he grew up knowing the story about how his dad stole the birthright from his older brother)...it breaks tradition...the firstborn is always supposed to get the greater blessing. I find it interesting that Jacob does this, because God is showing us once again that He likes to work through the unexpected...He likes to bring honor to the lesser...He likes to show His strength through our weaknesses. This is great news for you and I, because there are times when we are some pretty weak people aren't we? I can't tell you how often I feel like I am not cut out for the work that God is calling mew to do...father, husband, minister, disciple...I am not good enough to do these things well without God's help. Luckily, He likes to work through the weak...and He provides the strength I need to compensate for my weaknesses. Trust that God knows what He is doing through you. You are never gonna be prepared...you are never gonna be ready...you are never gonna be smart enough or brave enough or rich enough or whatever is holding you back from living powerfully for God enough. But God is all of those things and so much more...God will do His good works in your life if you offer yourself up to Him.
Paul echoes these thoughts in I Corinthians 2, when he talks about the wisdom of God versus the wisdom of man. God is revealing the truth of Himself and the truth of what matters to us...these deep, hidden truths...through His Spirit. Yet His truth...His wisdom...they seem like foolishness to the human mind. Our flesh nature wars against the wisdom of God. Our flesh nature says, "Serve yourself. Live for pleasure. Look out only for you. Run from discomfort. Ignore your faults." The sinful human side of our selves wants to sit down in our weakness and revel in it...but God offers us His Spirit so that we might be transformed. Paul tells us that the Spirit of God knows God...searches the mind and heart of God...is a part of God...and we have access to that Spirit. We can connect to that Spirit and let it transform us...let it fill us...let it teach us how to overcome our weaknesses and live as God intended us to live all along. God has not left us hanging...God has not abandoned us to wallow in our weaknesses...He is willing to enter into our mess...enter into our weakness and provide strength. Reach out to Him.
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