Weakness Turned to Strength

Weakness Turned to Strength
Words of Faith 4-10-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Hebrews 11
[33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. [35] Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. [36] Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. [37] They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated [38] the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Through faith, remarkable things happen. Miraculous things beyond our imagination have occurred through faith. Through trust in God, kingdoms opposed to God fall. Through faith, justice, an often elusive quality in this broken world, is administered. Through faith, the things that seek to devour our families and us are shut down. Through faith, we escape the things that would burn us or cut us. Through faith, some women received back their dead! Faith is a powerful force that releases the power of God in our lives.

But that is not the whole picture. Other people of faith were tortured, flogged, stoned, sawn in two, or put to death by the sword. Some people of faith lived in destitution, yet the world was not worthy of them.

So, if we do not escape the flames or sword, does this mean we did not have faith? Apparently not. Surrender to the sword for the name of Jesus may be the very thing that, by faith, conquers a kingdom. Surrender to the flames professing the Gospel of Christ, by faith, may be the very thing that administers justice. The way we face difficult times or even death may be the testimony that changes a life.

Praying with faith means always trusting God, who has the big picture. We pray with absolute faith for deliverance and protection, knowing that we can trust God to determine how and when He will respond.

The most remarkable phrase in this text is one we might miss: "whose weakness was turned to strength." The one thing the martyrs and the miraculous have in common is this: By faith, their weakness was turned to strength. Whether God's activity is to make David victorious against a giant or to allow Stephen to be a witness at his death, God is at work turning weakness into strength.

Paul wrote: "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). Sometimes the most powerful expression of faith is seen in weakness.

Do you feel weak? Don't forget, God used a stutterer to bring the Law, a little boy to slay a giant, a tiny army to rout the Midianites, a fallen king to write Psalms, a cowardly fisherman to preach a bold Pentecost sermon, a homesick kid to write the Gospel of Mark, and a prideful persecutor of the church to carry the Gospel to the world! He also used the martyrs' weakness and frailty to change the world. When we begin to trust God, He takes our weaknesses and does things through us that we never dreamed possible.

Lord, give me faith to trust You in difficult times to change the circumstances of my life, or give me strength to endure as a witness for You. Turn my weaknesses into glory for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2026
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2026 Jeffrey D. Hoy.