Who doesn’t want to be strong, stand straight and face the world with confidence?
Life is a series of stories, and each one of us has a unique story to tell. Billions upon billions of stories and no two are exactly the same.
Let’s be honest, there have been times in each of our stories where we’ve all felt hopeless, weak and shattered. In those chapters what did you do to rebound and how quickly were you able to regain your footing?
I don’t know about you, but at least for me the only way I can muster the strength to keep on fighting this ‘good fight of faith’ is running back into the arms and fixing my eyes on the Author and Perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2).
In referencing our ‘should be’ stance while in the heat of battling spiritual warfare Paul cited in Ephesians 6:10 the following; “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
I think we kinda have a rudimentary idea of what “to be strong in the Lord” means, but let’s look at what it doesn’t mean.
As I’ve mentioned in previous devotionals, in the original Greek language, the term is a passive voice verb meaning “to be rendered (more) capable or able for some task.” To be strong in the Lord does not involve building up your own strength. Believers cannot strengthen themselves in the Lord; rather, they must be empowered and/or be strengthened by God!
Simply put, when life hacks stop working and we are stricken with frailty and fragility God will undoubtedly stand for us and empower us to keep believing in ourselves, to be patient, to refuse to be victims of our circumstances, to ask for help when necessary, to overlook things beyond our control, and to never give up fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).
God must have a sense of humor because it makes no human sense that we are strongest in the Lord when we operate in the realm of human weakness. But, I guess your can’t make spiritual sense through human reasoning. We may not realize what it means for God to be our strength until we’re weak enough that He’s our only option.
Do you sense your strength rebuilding in your inner core?? I know as I write this devotional, I sense the power of God in my presence!
I equally know that some of you are still learning to rely on the power of God and the first thing I suggest that you to do is to look back at the things that God has done: “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced” (Psalm 105:4–5). Every miracle recorded for us in the Bible should give you encouragement that His strength is more than enough!
No matter how weak or ill-equipped we may feel, we can rely on the power of God. We have the assurance that God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). We have confidence that ultimately God will accomplish His good in our lives: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
4GIVEN 