WEAK?

All kinds of “interesting” things are happening these days in North Africa. It all began with Tunisia.

For over two decades, President Ben Ali’s regime has been known to be oppressive and authoritarian.

As one writer said: “None of the decent, principled, conscientious, but behind the scenes efforts the State Department made in recent years to persuade the Tunisian government to relax its authoritarian grip—mostly through diplomatic démarches and meetings with top Tunisian officials—had any significant impact on the Ben Ali regime's behavior or increased the likelihood of democratic change. Nor did the many quiet U.S. programs of outreach to Tunisian society, cultural exchanges and the like, even if Tunisians appreciated them and they will bear fruit as the country democratizes.”

So then what happened recently?

Wikileaks! Yup, Wikileaks, that notorious pipleline of information drainage on the web, masterminded by the rather odd character, Julian Assange, who may be facing a grand jury indictment, in Alexandria, VA, for the revelation of state secrets.

Some of those secrets involved Tunisia—or rather, its corrupt ruler. The government’s rottenness was put on display to the world, as well as the juicy details of the excesses of First Lady Leila Trabelsi and her clan. (Including a pet tiger Pasha!)

The rest is history: Ben Ali and the rest of the gang fled the country two weeks ago following widespread protests—the “Jasmine Revolution” (after the national flower).

Thus in one fell swoop, Wikileaks did more for democracy than decades of backstage diplomacy.

And then the rumblings in Yemen. And the conflagration in Egypt.

The smallest things can cause the biggest changes. Unexpected, inadvertent, fortuitous.

God works that way. One shrewd mother, Jochebed, was the means of raising a redeemer for the enslaved Hebrews (Exodus 2). One perspicacious harlot, Rahab, helped overthrow a city (Joshua 2). One enigmatic gentile (?), Shamgar, slaughtered 600 Philistines with an ox-goad, of all things (Judges 3), and another gentile, Jael, killed an enemy king with a tent peg (Judges 4). One impoverished Moabite widow, Ruth, became the ancestor of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4). One faithful woman, Hannah, consecrated the most famous judge of Israel (1 Samuel 2). And so on ….

Not to forget a faithful teenage virgin in the early part of the New Testament ….

Listen, if God can use them, He can use you and me.

For consider your calling, brethren,
that there were not many wise
according to the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble;
but God has chosen
the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise,
and God has chosen
the weak things of the world
to shame the things which are strong,
and the base things of the world
and the despised God has chosen,
the things that are not,
so that He may nullify
the things that are ….
1 Corinthians 1:26–29

Paul cited himself as an example.

For I am the least of the apostles,
and not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace toward me did not prove vain;
but I labored even more than all …,
yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:9–10

Indeed! And that grace is enough for us.

“My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

God uses us, the powerless, the weak, the humble. You and me. To demonstrate his power, might, and glory … through us! Amazing! What a gracious God!