29 October | Teens
«But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;» 1 Corinthians 1: 27
Have you ever noticed how sometimes things that seem weak and insignificant can surprise you? At school, for example, there may be a student who isn't noticed much, but who has incredible talents. God often chooses what is weak and despised by the world to show His power and wisdom. He does this so that no one will boast before Him; after all, He alone is worthy of any praise or worship! No matter how good you are, how good your skills, how competent you are, you are still a human being who makes mistakes and more mistakes. Nobody is perfect! The only one who is perfect is God! He's the one with the best CV, not you.
In 1 Corinthians 1:27 to 31, Paul reminds us that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things to confound the strong. There is a technique for studying the biblical text called decomposition. You write down the verses part by part to try to understand more about what the Word really wants to reveal. Look at the characteristics of the text:
· God chooses the weak
· God chooses humble things
· God chooses despised things
· God chooses things that are not so that no one can boast
Who made Himself weak, even though He was the most powerful? Who made Himself humble, even though He had everything at his disposal? Who was despised, even though He was worthy of all adoration? Who appeared not to be what He said though one day every knee will bow in worship? Jesus was that person! Considered crazy, weak, humble, despised and not the prophetic fulfillment! God chose Jesus to be our example! And He calls those who are willing to be like Him.
Take Action
To remember that our strength comes from God, make a “crazy” bookmark with nothing normal on it, with the phrase “God uses crazy things to confuse wise ones.” Use it in your Bible or in other books you read. Whenever you use the bookmark, remember that God can use your weaknesses to show His strength and glory.