This post was last updated on March 2, 2026

Day 356, Year 1

Out of Weakness Were Made Strong

… “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” (Hebrews 11:34 NKJV)

We are not afraid of any conflicts if we have faith in God. Believers and unbelievers are sometimes inevitably in conflict when both live in the same society. Today’s verse states that the elders of faith overcame the “fire,” “sword,” and “battle,” resulting in victory in fierce conflicts. Thus, we should train ourselves not to be frightened by any conflicts. Some believe that Christians should pursue interpersonal harmony, as well as those in other aspects, at any cost. Yes, but this harmony needs to be based on the substantial foundation of reconciliation to God on the various parties. Contrarily, if anyone is very afraid of conflict, he or she is likely to abandon the faith or even betray God in exchange for harmony.

When we come to Jesus through repentance and obedience, we will indeed find a peaceful mind and a harmonious relationship with Him. With this harmony, we are not afraid of any external conflicts. This may be one illustration of how out of weakness is made strong in today’s scripture. So often, human failure begins within inner weakness. When our hearts and minds are weak, let alone the obvious dangers, even insects can defeat us with such a small size. Thus, today’s verse makes it clear that if we truly believe in God, we can overcome any kind of challenge. Let us consolidate our trust in Him and hold on to the power of faith.

In Hebrews chapter 11, the key to transforming from weakness to strength is trusting in God’s Word, for His Word creates the worlds out of nothing. In addition, as seen in Abraham’s life, his mind was to be purified from all disbeliefs and even past experiences that were contrary to His words. So, he firmly believed in God’s words and guidance. But sometimes we need to ask God for confirmation so that our actions can be filled with the faith He gives us. This is one of the keys to turning our weakness into strength, too. Of course, the major faith incidents related to the scriptures usually require a step-by-step process of growing faith in them. God always strengthens our faith so that we have the confidence to meet any challenges, and even drastically change our environment ahead. Hence, the faith events mentioned in this chapter were definitely not momentary faith but that of God’s faithful people, whom He trained on various occasions and, finally, rewrote history with faith. Finally, the first arena that God wants to rewrite through us is our personal history.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel that you have a harmonious relationship with God so that you are not afraid of any external conflicts? If believers are afraid of certain external conflicts, how can you help them?

2) In your daily small trials or tests of faith, do you obey God so much that you continue to grow in faith toward ongoing victory?