Be Strong In The Lord
1. A Couple "Strong" Verses
Many times when I am reading my Bible I will take a regular school composition book and use it to jot down my thoughts. If the Lord shows me a verse, I write it down. If I have a question, I write it down, and many times the Lord answers my questions with another verse, and I go back and jot that down, too. If I see a phrase or word that I would like to use in our devotionals, I make note of it also. I don't remember all the verses that I write in the book, but when something comes up about a Bible topic, I often remember what book I was reading and I can look back in my notebook and find the verse. It has really helped me understand more of the scriptures as I read. Last week, I wrote down two verses from II Chronicles and I wanted to read them one night to Annie to encourage her.
"Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." (II Chronicles 15:7)
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." (II Chronicles 16:9)
As I read these verses, I noticed that the word "strong" was in both verses. The first one tells us to be strong, and the second one assures us that the Lord is strong on our behalf. I thought maybe these verses, and a few more "strong" verses could give us some encouragement this week.
2. "Be Strong For Your Work Shall Be Rewarded"
We will begin this series with II Chronicles 15:7, ""Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." The Bible gives us a record of the kings of Israel and Judah, and which ones followed God, and which ones turned away from God. Asa was a good king and he put his trust in the Lord. God sent a prophet to the king and encouraged him to keep following the Lord. Sometimes it is hard to be strong and keep following righteousness. But, let us keep going forward for God, finding courage as Asa did, knowing that our work will be rewarded. We may not receive rewards here on earth for doing the right thing, but God will reward us in His time.
"1 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD." (II Chronicles 15:1-8)
3. The Lord Is A Strong Hold In The Day Of Trouble
When King Asa put his trust in the Lord, God gave him victory in the battles. But, when he turned and took the silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord to buy an allegiance with the king of Syria, God sent a prophet to rebuke him.
"7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." (II Chronicles 16:7-9)
The eyes of the Lord see all, and His Word says that He will "shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." Nahum 1:7 tells us, "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." Let God be your strength in the time of trouble. "But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble." (Psalm 37:39)
4. Thy Strength Shall Be As Thy Days
Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I feel tired before my day even gets started, and I pray, "Lord, please give me the strength I need to make it through the day." There are also days when I lay down at night and I thank the Lord for giving me the strength I needed to make it through another day. I realize that I couldn't go on without my Lord. He gives me the strength I need each day. Before Moses died he gave a blessing to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. There are many times when I need the blessing of Asher. which ends, "...as thy days, so shall thy strength be." Each day, I need strength from the Lord, and as long as I live, as many days as that may be, I will still rely on the strength from my loving Savior. Thank you Lord, for the strength to go on.
"24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deuteronomy 33:24-25)
5. "But God Is The Strength Of My Heart"
In a recent sermon, Pastor Jack Tripp was preaching on, "But, God" and he used Psalm 73 as one of his points. In this Psalm, Asaph is looking around at the prosperity of the wicked. We may do this from time to time when life gets hard. But God, has a way to speak to us and turn our eyes to Him. Maybe your steps have slipped, as he states in verse 2. Verses 24- 26 may be the verses of encouragement you need to hear today. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."
"1 <<A Psalm of Asaph.>> Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."
6. Strong Enough To Claim Your Mountain
My Dad worked a full time job and also worked a lot outside, cutting wood, raising a garden, and taking care of a small farm with cows, pigs and chickens. Since he had four daughters and no sons, he taught us to help him with whatever task he was working on at the time. We worked hard and we were strong and healthy. As I've gotten older, I don't feel strong any more. Time has taken it's toll. But, there were a few men in the Bible who kept their strength. Caleb and Joshua were the only two spies who had faith in God to claim the Promised Land. The other ten spies discouraged the people and they would not listen and believe that God would give them victory. After they wandered in the wilderness, their children were able to go in to the Promised Land. They began claiming their portion and Caleb remembered the time when he helped search out the land. For forty five years he waited and wandered with the Children of Israel. And even though he grew older during those years, he stayed as strong as he had been. God gave him the strength to claim his mountain! We need to keep on trusting the Lord. We may have to wait and wander through a few years, and our strength may begin to fail, but God can give us the strength we need to claim our mountain of faith.
"6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel." (Joshua 14:6-14)
7. Encouraging Words
As I continued with my reading through the book of II Chronicles I came to our next verses on "Be Strong In The Lord." Sennacherib, the king of Assyria was coming to fight against Judah at Jerusalem and King Hezekiah did all he could do to be prepared. In II Kings 19:14 we read that when the king received the letter from the king of Assyria he took it to the Lord. "And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD." Our "Be Strong" verses come from II Chronicles 32:6-8. "And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." When it may have looked hopeless in the eyes of the people, King Hezekiah put his faith in God and spoke encouraging words to them. We may be afraid. We may be dismayed. But we can look to God's Word and be encouraged as He tells us, "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed."
"1 After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.
4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,
7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." (II Chronicles 32:1-8)
8. "They That Wait Upon The Lord Shall Renew Their Strength"
Many times patience is not one of my strong points. I had to go to Wal-mart and pick up a few things, and although I used to like to go to Wal-mart, those days are gone. Now I just want to get in, find my items, and get out. But, to get out, I have to check out. I only had a few things, but I think there were only two cashiers working, so I waited. We may get impatient waiting, especially somewhere like a doctor's office. We can also get tired of waiting on an important phone call, or package in the mail. Our strength fails and we grow weary. We have a promise in the book of Isaiah that when we wait on the Lord, He shall renew our strength.
"28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
9. Together We Are Stronger
When I am going through difficult times I try to see what the Lord may be trying to teach me through it all. During Michael's open heart surgery and recovery time in December it was hard, especially since I couldn't be close to any of my family due to the Covid pandemic. I didn't want to take a chance of spreading germs back to him in the hospital, so after spending the days in the hospital I came home each evening to an empty house. One evening I needed groceries and Andrew went into the store while I waited in the parking lot with Annie. We stood on opposite sides of the car and talked, and I cried as I let out the emotion that had been building day after day. I don't know how I would have made it through that time if it had not been for the Lord's help and strength each day.
At the beginning of April, Annie and Andrew sold their house. They had a purchase planned and we told them they could stay with us during the few days between the two closings. Things changed on the seller's end with the closing for the new property and they did not get to close, so they have been with us since that time. Again, I have been looking to understand what I need to learn during this time. The housing market is crazy now, and each house they look at is sold immediately. Annie and I were talking one night and she apologized for having to stay with us so long. I told her that I don't know why God worked it out this way, but maybe He knew that we needed each other to lean on during these difficult days. I believe that many families and friends have been hurt so much by the isolation during the past year. We need one another. It has been a blessing to have part of our family, with three of our grandchildren, so close, after being so far apart. Our love for each other gives us strength. Together we are stronger!
"8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:8-12)
10. The Lord Is The Strength Of My Life
What can we do when we try to be strong in the Lord, but our strength is weak? The only thing we can do is put all our trust in the Lord and let Him be our strength. David said, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) I believe that we are living in the last days and the signs of the times are being fulfilled before our eyes. The sinfulness of the world gets worse and worse each day. What can we do? Put our trust in the Lord. I am reminded when the King of Syria sent troops to take Elisha and his servant was afraid. Look at what the great prophet said to his servant. And remember that God will take care of His own. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
"14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (II Kings 6:14-17)
11. When We Were Without Strength
I was born into this world, helpless, and hopeless, without any strength of my own. My parents fed me, and clothed me, and watched over me with love. As time passed by I grew and was able to take care of myself. When I was around 8 years old the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin. I was afraid and I felt helpless and hopeless. I had no way to go to heaven. I learned that Jesus, God's Son, came and gave His life on the cross to pay for my sin. He died for me, so that I could live. We have no strength against the world. We have no strength against our own sinful nature. We have no strength that will carry us to heaven. Christ is all the strength we need... in this life... and in the life to come. Trust Him today and He will save you.
"6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:6-9)
12. Love The Lord With All Your Strength
When my grandmother was living next door to me she would often ask me to sweep or mop her floor for her. She would always tell me, "Just give it a lick and a promise." That probably sounds strange to the younger people, but it was a common saying back in the day. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a quick and careless attempt to do something." Grandma was telling me to give it a quick effort, with a promise to do better the next time. How many things in this life do we do carelessly or half-way? You may know the greatest commandment, but have you ever noticed all the "alls" in it? "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:" (Mark 12:30) Do we love the Lord our God with all our heart? (Do we love God in how we live for Him or do we sing "Oh, How I Love Jesus? and never pay attention to the words?) All our soul? All our mind? (Are we filling our mind with things of this world, or with the Word of our God?) And the last one, which we may not think about, do we love the Lord our God with all our strength? We don't want to give God a quick and careless attempt of our strength. We are told to love Him with all our strength. God gave us His all, in His Son, Jesus. We show our love by giving God our all.
"28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mark 12:28-33)
13. A Verse To Live By
As I was looking at verses about the strength of the Lord I came to Psalm 71:18. I was reminded of this devotional that I wrote on December 18, 2020. I want to share part of it again and praise the Lord for answering prayer and giving Michael more strength. He was able to go back to school and finish out the school year. God is good and He is our strength.
"Michael's verse for a while has been Psalm 71:18, "Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." Michael Key has been teaching school 44 years and he tells me that nobody enjoys their job more than he does. He taught at Archdale Trinity Middle School until he retired, and now he teaches at Hayworth Christian School, where he enjoys having devotions and prayer with his students. He wants them to know the Lord, and know more about the Lord. The doctor told him yesterday that he is a strong man, and nobody else would have made it last Thursday night. I told him that God heard our prayers. I believe that God is still using him to show this generation the strength and power of the Lord."
14. "We Are Weak But He Is Strong"
When little Lici comes up to me and says, "Will you help me?" I stop what I am doing and help her with what she needs. It is so easy to help her when she wants my help. Sometimes I offer to help, such as, "Do you want me to fix you some chocolate milk?" and she will reply, "No, thank you." There are other times when I offer to do something for her and she raises both hands and says, "No. No. No." It is hard to help her when she doesn't want any help. I was singing "Jesus Loves Me" and rocking her for her nap and I thought about the words, "They are weak, but He is strong" and wanted to share my thoughts. Some days I feel like I am a burden to the Lord with all the prayer requests I have. But maybe, the Lord likes to hear us ask, "Will You help me?" just as much as I like to hear my grandchildren ask for my help. We are weak, but He is strong! It shows an humble spirit to ask for help. How many times has the Lord tried to help me and I replied, "No, thank you."? Or, even worse, have I raised my hands up and said, "No. No. No."? I have tried to help others in need, and they refused my help. I decided that you can't help someone until they want help. The Lord wants to help us. How many troubles have we struggled through on our own because we wouldn't accept the Lord's help?
"Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so."
15. They Strengthened Their Hands
Two of our grandchildren, Micah and Maggie, like to watch American Ninja Warrior. I watched it with them recently and I asked them how they build up the strength in their hands to swing and jump from one obstacle to another and catch themselves with their hands, sometimes just the ends of their fingers. Their reply... "Practice, MeMaw." I guess practice would give them more strength in their hands, but even when I was young and thin I didn't have enough strength to pull my weight up more than once to do chin ups. Today I want to look at several verses I just read in Ezra and Nehemiah. The Children of Israel had been carried away captive to Assyria, and to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. When Cyrus, King of Persia, ruled over the land he made a proclamation that any who wanted to return to Jerusalem could go and build the temple that had been destroyed. He also said that any who remained were to help with their offerings of silver, gold, goods, animals, and precious things.
"5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;" (Ezra 1:5-7)
The people, and even the king, "strengthened their hands..." This was not a physical strengthening, but a mental and financial strengthening by the gifts and support of others and even the reigning kings. They kept the Passover, and the Lord made them joyful, and again we see their hands were strengthened for the work of the house of God.
"21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel." (Ezra 6:21-22)
When we come to the book of Nehemiah, we see that he praised God and told the people of the king's words, and this gave them emotional support and "they strengthened their hands for this good work." "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." (Nehemian 2:18) They faced opposition on every side when they began building the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked God to strengthen his hands. "For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands." (Nehemiah 6:9)
We have a work to do for the Lord. We have opposition. We need to ask the Lord to strengthen our hands for His work. We can also give, and pray, and help others who are doing the Lord's work, to strengthen their hands.
16. The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength
Continuing in the book of Nehemiah... After they built the wall in Jerusalem the people gathered in the street and Ezra, the priest, read the book of the law of Moses. This brought fear and sorrow to the people because they saw how far they had strayed from God's Word. As we read the Bible we also are saddened by the sin in our land. It can make us feel weak, but let's find encouragement in the words of Nehemiah, "the joy of the LORD is your strength." The joy of my Lord gives me strength to get up in the mornings. The joy of my Lord carries me through each day. When we feel like we have no strength to go on, the joy of the Lord can give us hope and the strength we need, and His strength is everlasting strength.
"Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" (Isaiah 26:4)
"8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:8-10)
17. Philippians 4:13
I often see people with Philippians 4:13 on their shirts, and bags, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." But, I want to be honest with you, I struggle. There are some things that I have trouble doing. Since I started this devotional web site my prayer has been that God would use it for His glory. When I began writing, I wondered if I would be able to have enough to say, to keep it up. God has continued to give me thoughts each day to share about how He uses His Word in my life. I have no way of knowing how the Lord uses it, but I keep praying that He does. Quite some time ago I started praying that God would use me, not just the devotionals, but me, for His glory. Sometimes we may be afraid to ask the Lord to use us because we are not sure how He might choose to do so. I know some missionaries and they are definitely being used by the Lord. I did not feel God's calling to be a missionary, but I really feel like our time on earth is short and I didn't want to look back with regrets that I didn't do all that I could for the Lord. So, I asked God to use me, and I trusted that He would give me the strength to do His will. Six months ago Michael had his heart surgery and he has needed me in an entirely different way than he did the past 43 years of our marriage. And God is giving me the strength to help him as he gets through this healing process. Then two months ago Annie and her family moved in with us when they sold their house. I feel like God is also using me in their lives. Elsa was asking me to tie her shoes for her before she went out to play and one day I told her I would show her how to tie them. Each day when I tied her shoes, I showed her how, and after a few days she showed me that she could tie them. I know this is a little thing, but God used it to show me that He is using me, in their lives. Some days are harder than others. I still have problems breathing from time to time, and I am so much older than I was when my children were small. But, as long as God gives me strength, I want to keep on trying to follow Him. I want to be faithful to Him and I want to trust Him to the place that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
18. When We Lose Our Strength After Doing All We Can
Let's look at Elijah. He had strength! God gave him courage and strength to stand before the people. "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." (I Kings 18:21) He had courage and strength to stand against 450 prophets of Baal. He built an altar of stone. He dug a trench around the altar. He laid wood on the altar and cut the bullock in pieces for the sacrifice. This took a lot of strength.
"37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." (I Kings 18:37-40)
And before the rain came, he outran the chariot of King Ahab! Then Jezebel threatened his life and he ran for his life. He gave all he had for the Lord, and then his strength was gone. "And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." (I Kings 19:3-4) God didn't fuss at His prophet. He sent His angel to take care of Elijah. He fed him and renewed his strength.
"5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God." (I Kings 19:5-8)
Many times we do all we can do, and it takes all our courage and strength, and then our strength is gone. But, our loving God can renew our strength! "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
19. What Was The Secret Of Samson's Strength?
Samson was a judge in the book of Judges who was given great strength by God. Many might say that the secret of Samson's strength was his hair. There is a Bible verse to support this answer. Delilah pushed him day after day and finally he gave her an answer. "And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." (Judges 16:16-17) But, to find the real source of his strength we need to go back to when the Angel of the Lord appeared to his mother telling of his birth. "Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:4-5) There were three parts to this Nazarite vow. He was not to drink wine nor strong drink. Judges 14:5 tells us that he went down to the vineyards of Timnath. We are not told that he drank wine while he was there, but he did go down to the vineyards so it is possible that he broke his first vow there. "Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. (Judges 14:5-6) After a while he went back to Timnath and saw a bee hive with honey in the carcass of the lion and he ate of the honey. The second part of the vow was not to eat any unclean thing, so this part of the vow was broken. Samson experienced many problems but his great strength helped him escape them all. Until he finally told Delilah that the source of his great strength was his hair and she called for the Philistines to come cut it off. "And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." (Judges 16:19-20) The last line of that verse is so sad... "And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." When we fall into sin we may not be punished the first time. We may step in a little deeper and a little farther, until the strength of our Christian life is departed from us, without us even realizing it. If we want to be strong in the Lord, then we need to obey His Word.
20. Suffering Can Take Away Our Strength
We have probably all experienced sickness, or suffering that took away our strength. When we look for a biblical example, we see Job in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament. Look at the extent of Paul's trouble in II Corinthians 1:8. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:"
He described his sufferings in more detail in II Corinthians 11:23-29. And in the next chapter he tells of his suffering through his thorn in the flesh, but he is able to put his trust in the Lord for through Christ he was able to say, "for when I am weak, then am I strong."
"23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?"
"7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Corinthians 12:7-10)
21. Heavy Burdens Make Us Weak
Not only does pain and sickness take away our strength, but heavy burdens can also make us weak. Stress, from the heavy load that we carry, or because of the love we have for those who are under a heavy burden, can rob us of our strength and bring on sickness or depression. We can feel so weak that we don't want to get out of bed in the mornings. We may not want to do anything or go any where. Jesus is our hope for such heavy burdens.
"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Our loving Savior can lift our burdens and renew our strength. Another verse that is helpful is Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." It is the Lord's will that we help carry one another's burdens. Heavy loads are easier to carry when we have help. If you are under a heavy burden, take it to the Lord in prayer. And reach out to help those who are bowed low with their burdens. We can be a comfort and strength to those sinking low.
22. Our Blessed Hope
We began our series, "Be Strong In The Lord" in praise to our God for giving us the strength we need from day to day. Then we looked at some examples of things that take away our strength and make us weak. What keeps us going when our strength has failed? What keeps us from giving up and quitting? Our hope in the Lord! We know that even if our strength fails now, this is not the end. We have hope of everlasting life in heaven when all of our troubles and trials, our pain and sorrow, will all be gone away. We will be with the Lord forever and ever. That blessed hope gives us strength and courage to keep on keeping on.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" (Titus 2:13)
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (I John 3:2)
