Strengthening the Weak Places
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
I remember reading about a young man named Arvind Mahankali who competed in the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee. For two years in a row, he came painfully close to victory, only to lose because of German-derived words that he could not spell correctly. Imagine how frustrating that must have been—to work so hard, stand on the stage with the championship within reach, and then watch it slip away because of the same weakness each year.
Many people would have become discouraged after failing twice in the same area. Some would have blamed the judges, complained about the difficulty of the words, or simply decided they were not good enough. But Mahankali chose a different response. Instead of ignoring his weakness, he faced it directly. He spent time studying German-derived words. He practiced them repeatedly until the area that once brought fear no longer intimidated him. When he returned to the competition the next year and received German words, he calmly said, “I wasn’t worried.” The very thing that once defeated him had become something he was prepared to overcome.
That story reminds me how easy it is in life to avoid the weak places. We often want to focus on what comes naturally to us while neglecting the areas where we struggle. Yet growth rarely happens in our strengths alone. God often works deeply in the places where we feel inadequate, uncomfortable, or weak. Sometimes our weakness exposes areas where we need discipline, patience, wisdom, or greater dependence upon the Lord.
I have found that spiritual growth works much the same way. The Christian life is not built by drifting along carelessly. A strong prayer life does not happen accidentally. Knowledge of Scripture does not appear magically. A godly marriage, faithful ministry, or steady Christian testimony requires time, effort, and consistency. The areas where we are weakest are often the very places where God invites us to grow.
Perhaps there is an area in your life where you keep stumbling. Maybe it is your temper, your thought life, your faith, your discipline, or your consistency with God. Do not become discouraged because of weakness. Bring it before the Lord honestly. Study. Pray. Grow. Keep working where you once failed. Through God’s grace, the very weakness that once defeated you may someday become a testimony of His strength in your life.
Instead of avoiding your weak areas, ask God to help you confront them with humility and diligence. Growth often begins where pride ends. The places where you struggle most may become the places where God teaches you to depend upon Him the deepest.
"It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man." — Psalm 118:8
Daily Scripture Reading
Join us as we read through the Bible in one year, growing together in God’s Word day by day. Click on any underlined verse to access Pastor Burns’ helpful study notes and deeper insights.
Psalm 32
Psalm 51
John 3:16-36
Search for any chapter or scripture above to begin.
This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.