For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Ps 103:14

We are reading A Little Princess (Amazon link) in homeschool this week. I love little Sara Crewe!  She rivals Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice (Amazon link) for my all time favorite (or favourite) heroine.  As the story opens Sara, whose mother is dead, is doted on by her young and wealthy father, an officer in British India.  She lives in relative luxury at a boarding school for a few years before learning of her father’s death.  Captain Crewe dies in India, alone, and thinking himself financially ruined.  Due to this apparent loss of fortune, Sara also loses her station as the “show pupil”, as the “little princess”, and is relegated to spending her days as an errand girl on the wet, cold streets of London; and sleeping at night in an unheated, rat infested attic.  Her change of fortune does not change her heart, which was good from the start.  It is when she is pressed the most, that she shines the brightest.  Many tears while reading…

Strength in weakness.  We see it in the pages of God’s Word as well.  God chose the least of these most of the time.  Jacob, the trickster, the younger twin, was chosen by God to become Israel, father of the twelve tribes (Gen. 25:23).  Moses, the younger, tongue-tied brother was chosen by God to lead those twelve tribes to freedom; he was called a “friend of God” (Ex 33:11).  David was the last of his brothers, a child really when he was anointed as king; yet he was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) who defeated Goliath (1 Sam 17:50) and from whose line the Savior would come (2 Sam 7:16).  Jesus was born in a manger and grew up anonymously, though He was the Son of God (Luke 2).  Peter, devastated over his denial of Jesus prior to the Savior’s crucifixion (Matt 26:75), founded and led the early church, fulfilling another prophecy of Jesus’, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” ( Matt 16:18).  And Paul, his hatred for Christians driving him to Damascus on a mission of persecution, met the LORD along the way (Acts 9) and became instead a soldier of the Cross (2 Tim 2:3).

Do you feel unworthy sometimes?  Overwhelmed by your inadequacies?  Me too.  Daily.  But the Holy Spirit whispers to me when I am discouraged… so I know that I am part of God’s plan.  He, who in His great mercy, chose the many unlikely heroes to demonstrate His power.  He knew what an encouragement it would be to the rest of us unlikely heroes.  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Cor 12:9).  It is in my weakness that I see the truth – I can do nothing without Him and yet, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).

I have come to learn, the hard way, that when I feel myself being humbled…that’s when I know God is really working in me.  When I see the difficulties, or feel heartbroken, I see His plans for my improvement unfolding and I see my opportunity to glorify Him and, this is my chance…I can take part in the Plan.  Not that I always do as I should…but I know in my heart, that He is in it.  He is in the fire (Dan 3).  He is in the lion’s den (Dan 6).  He is in the pruning of the Vine (John 15).  He is in the potter’s hands (Is 64:8).  He is in me!  But we have this Treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Cor 4:5-8).

JustAgirl…just like you