Can you imagine trying to navigate your way out of a dark cavern only using the flickering light of a lightning bug? It’d be crazy. If you want to make it through the dark, you need an actual source of light.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul is wrestling with a thorn in the flesh. God doesn’t take his thorn but instead tells Paul this: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

God’s power is clearly shown through human weakness. Now, don’t hear that wrong. It’s not as if God has to cripple humanity in order to show his power. He doesn’t need to debase in order to be strong. But we’re often blinded by our own ingenuity. The idols we craft can be blinding in their man-made splendor. In order to help us see, God at times will dim the lights of our idols so we can see more clearly His power. 

Certainly, Paul’s life is one where we can see that God was shown to be strong through Paul’s weakness. But Paul isn’t the only one. There are many other biblical heroes who show the power of God through their own weakness. Here are three examples.

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Portion.

That’s not a word that we use much these days. When I think of portion, I think of eating. We mostly hear it in the context of dieting. To have portion control, means that you make sure that you do not eat more than your allotted amount.

So, what does it mean then to say that “God is my portion”? And how does knowing this impact our spiritual health?

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If I ask you to “bring” me a soda from the fridge, and you comply, then I will have a soda in my possession. But if God brings salvation to all people, does this mean that everyone is saved? 

What we break and unravel God restores. The people will be overcome by the Assyrians. Centuries later they will be exiled. Many years later people’s unfaithfulness will continue. But through all of this, in each stage of unraveling, God is in the business of restoring.

God will need to rescue and redeem His bride from all of the awful decisions and covenants and relationships that she has made. But He will do it. He will buy her back. And this is what we see the Lord Jesus does with us.

The writer of Ecclesiastes is certainly correct, “of making many books there is no end…” Each month I receive periodicals advertising hundreds of new books in the Christian market. Though we could read a new book each month, there is wisdom in picking up the classics.

C.S. Lewis once advised, “It’s a good rule after reading a new book never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” Since one of Lewis’ works is now well over 50 years old, it falls into the category now of “an old one.” His book Mere Christianity is a must-read for those interested in apologetics, and it is a should read for any believer.

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You will not find the word inerrancy anywhere in Scripture. It is a relatively newer term. The first known use of the term, with the present meaning, is found in 1837. It’s not shocking, then, that this word does not appear in the Bible. But the concept of a true, trustworthy, and authoritative Bible certainly does appear in Scripture.

Cults are also notorious for adding their own rules. Places like Colossians 2:19-23 can be helpful to show that Christ is sufficient. Are your leaders pointing you to Christ and leaving you in His hands, or are they centering themselves or the group? That is a big identifier of a cult.

Through our union with Christ, all the blessings of Israel become ours. But this new covenant obedience is different than that of the Old Testament. It is not a servile obedience, but a friendship obedience. Those who are Jesus’ friends obey His commands; it is what characterizes them.

The gospel is present in Joshua in that it is part of God’s story of redemption. He puts His people into the land in which He promised to give them. God is faithful to His promises. But this is only a little glimpse into what God is accomplishing through Jesus Christ. Jesus is doing far more than Joshua ever did.

The Pharisees pick up on the depth of this claim. Only God has eternal life, therefore only God can give eternal life. Abraham is dead. The prophets are dead. Who does this Jesus think he is?

The book is Job’s attempt at getting a hearing with the God of the Universe. Along the way, we hear from all of Job’s friends who wax eloquent about their views of suffering. But there is no gospel in their words. But where is the gospel in Job? 

While every verse in the Bible is relevant and applicable to both men and women, there are some verses which might be more applicable to one gender over the other. Men and women are different. God has created us to be unique. But none of these verses or categories are exclusively masculine (apart from the ones on being a good husband or father). 

Here are 50 Bible verses that every man should know.

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