Weakness and Aid

Δὸς ἡμῖν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως. Μὴ ἀπὸ ἰσχύος ζητήσωμεν τὴν βοθήειαν· μὴ ἀπο εὐπαθείας σαρκός· ἀπὸ μηδενὸς τῶν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις νενομισμνων περιφανῶν ἀξιώσωμεν τυχεῖν τῆς ἀντιλήψεως. Οὐκ ἐν περιβολῇ χρημάτων, οὐκ ἐν δυνάμεως ὅγκῳ, οὐκ ἐν ὑπψώματι δόξης τὸ κρατεῖν περιγίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς καθ' ὑπερβολὴν θλίψεως χαρίζεται Κύριος τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν τὴν βοήθειαν. Τοιοῦτος ἧν καὶ  ὁ Παῠλος, καυχήματα ἑαυτοῦ τὰς θλίψεις ποιούμενος. Διὰ τοῦτο ἠδύνατο λέγειν· 'Ὅταν ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμι.' Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΝΘ'

'Give to us help from tribulations.' 1 Not on account of strength do we seek aid. We do not expect such a request from a healthy body, nor from men deemed prosperous. Victory is not from abundance of wealth, nor from excess of power, nor is it in the heights of glory, but the Lord gives aid to those overcome by trouble who seek it. So it was with Paul himself crying out in the midst of troubles, and so he was able to say, 'When I am weak, then I am powerful.' 2 Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 59 1 Ps 59.13  2 2 Cor 12.10