LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG (PART I)

“Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”

By Akin Ojumu

Faith is like a delicate flower. It is nourished from the water of the fountain of knowledge. A faith that grows and endures is a faith rooted in the fertile soil of the sound knowledge of the Word of God. 

Mystical encounters do not bring about spiritual growth. You cannot by magical experiences add an ounce to the Believer’s faith. It’s to the extent to which the Christian is cognitively savvy about Scriptures that his faith is strengthened and his love for God grows.

Romans 10:17

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”

Without a sound knowledge of Scriptures, faith shrivels and dies. A Christian not planted by the streams of the water of accurate understanding of God’s Word is like chaff blown away by every wind of aberrant doctrine. 

Psalm 1:1-4

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his Law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers...”

In his letter to Timothy, Apostle Paul charged his spiritual son to diligently study the Word of God, exhorting him to make every effort to accurately handle God’s Word. Now, what we need to remember is that Timothy was not a novice when it came to Scriptures. The young man was raised by a devout mother (Eunice) and a godly grandmother (Lois) both of whom taught him God’s Word. So, he had a solid grounding in Scriptures. Yet, Paul thought it was still necessary to remind him of the importance of continuing diligence in the study of God’s Word. He did this because of the consequences of mishandling God’s Truth. Those who do so bring shame and reproach to themselves.

2 Timothy 2:15

“Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the Word of truth.”

Despite this clear and explicit command given to us by God to diligently handle His Word with accuracy and reverence, however, what we find today are preachers who treat Scriptures willy-nilly and exhibit total disregard to its fidelity. To such preachers, Bible texts are nothing more than band-aids to be applied to life’s problems. Characteristically, they yank Bible texts out their proper context and flippantly use them to promote all kinds of erroneous doctrines.

One of those Bible passages that have been the victim of unimaginable abuse and misuse by modern-day preachers and their followers is the subject of this commentary.

Joel 3:10b

“Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’”

To show how grossly this text has been distorted and violated, it is featured in one of the most popular Christian Worship songs of all time. Titled, “Give Thanks,” this is one of the highest grossing songs in contemporary Christianity. Produced by Hosanna! Music and recorded in 1986 as a live worship by Don Moen, Give Thanks has sold more than one million copies worldwide. 

The chorus of the song goes like this:

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given

Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, “I am strong”

Let the poor say, “I am rich”

Because of what the Lord has done for us

Give thanks…

To the average Christian, Give Thanks reinforces the belief that Joel 3:10b is a statement of affirmation. In their minds, the proclamation of this passage confers strength upon the weak. Consistent with the positive confession doctrine, the vast majority of church folks have been taught to believe that by resolutely and repeatedly decreeing and declaring “I am strong,” they’ll supernaturally metamorphosize into instant billionaires. As a result, “I am strong” has become a sort of an incantation to chant to acquire strength. Church folks have turned “I am rich” into a mantra they inveigh against material poverty.

This understanding of Joel 3:10b is pervasive and pernicious. Not only is it erroneous, but it is actually pretty dangerous. When interpreted within its proper context, Joel 3:10b is not a statement of affirmation or some incantation to be chanted whenever there’s a need for financial or physical turnaround. In actual fact, Joel 3:10b is not even something any Christian should want to ascribe to themselves.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I do agree that it’s a biblical thing for the child of God to put their trust in God and completely rely on Him at those moments in life when they feel weak, helpless, hopeless, and worthless. There are several Bible passages that speak clearly and explicitly to that. 

However, Joel 3:10 is not a Bible text that speaks to that. This passage is not addressed to those who know God and serve Him. It’s a text specifically intended for the enemies of God and anyone who hates His Law. The weak in Joel 3:10 are those who, in rebellion to God, think they are strong. The text is a rebuke to anyone who, in defiance, believes they can go to war against God and prevail.

Next time, we’ll examine what Joel 3:10b really means.