Tag: strength

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Proverbs Devotionals

When our strength is small

If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10, ESV)

It would be easy to look at these words and condemn ourselves if we find ourselves faltering in the face of adversity.

To look at ourselves and say, “How weak I am! I should be stronger than this!”

But the truth is, our strength is small. And if we rest in our own strength, we will falter. No matter how strong we may be, we will always find situations that are too big for us. 

So what do we do? 

Paul tells us.

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. (Ephesians 6:10)

Or as the psalmist put it,

Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always. (Psalm 105:4)

And let us remember our Lord’s own words. 

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

So in these times of adversity, let us take on Paul’s attitude.

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 

So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

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1 Samuel Devotionals Psalms Devotionals

Stop fighting!

Be still

As I was looking at these two passages today, I saw a connection there.

Here is David running for his life from Saul. But as he did, he found what the author of Psalm 46 discovered.

God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

What do we make of what happened to Saul at the end of 1 Samuel 19? Perhaps it was God’s way of saying to him,

“Stop your fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

God humbled Saul that day. Yet Saul never stopped fighting God.

Had Saul ever stopped struggling against God, he would have found peace. He would have found that God is our refuge and strength. Instead, he constantly lived in fear, sinned greatly because of it, and eventually perished.

As I think back to my last blog, I can’t help but draw parallels between Jacob and Saul.

Like Saul, Jacob struggled to say, “My God.”

Like Saul, Jacob struggled against God.

But unlike Saul, Jacob learned to stop fighting God, and to follow after him. As a result, he ultimately found peace.

How about you? Are you still fighting God, doing things your own way, living only for yourself?

Or do you look at him and say, “You are my God. You are the one I trust”?

If we will do so, we too will find that,

The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Psalm 46:11)

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Colossians

A prayer for all believers

Praying the Bible

If you ever want to pray a prayer for a fellow Christian but are not sure how to do it, and you want to go beyond a simple, “bless so-and-so,” you don’t have to look any further than the prayers of Paul.

Time and again in his letters, he gives us wonderful models of how to pray for others according to God’s will.

We see one of those models here in Colossians chapter 1. Paul had apparently never met these Colossians, but had only heard of them and their faith in Christ through a man named Epaphras.

But when Paul heard about the fruit that was born in their hearts through the gospel, he rejoiced. More, he prayed for them a very specific prayer. What did he pray for?

First, he prayed that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will with all wisdom and understanding. That is something that we all need as Christians. Why?

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)

If we want to please God and bear fruit for him, then we need to know his will in our lives.

As he fills us with his wisdom and understanding, we start to understand who he himself is. We understand how he thinks. We understand what is important to him.

In short, we come to truly know him, not just about him, particularly as he imparts his power into our lives. That’s why Paul prays that they would be,

strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (11-12)

God doesn’t want us to live this Christians life based on our own strength.

Many people go through trials with endurance and patience, but no joy. Why? Because they are resting on their own strength, not God’s.

But Paul’s prayer is not that the Colossians would patiently endure their trials in their own strength. Rather, he prays that God’s power would fill them so that they could not only endure, but do so with joy.

That each day, they would focus not on themselves, but on God. To remember that all they have as Christians is not based on their own efforts, but on what God has done. For he is the one who qualified us to share in his inheritance, not us.

Not only that,

he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (13-14)

Again, all the work is of him. He rescued us from out of darkness. He brought us into the kingdom of his Son. And it is in Christ, not ourselves, that we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

Yet many Christians forget that. And because we do so, we start trying to live on our own wisdom and strength, and in the process, lose our joy.

But when we are filled with his wisdom, knowledge, and power, when we remember all that Christ has done for us and that all we have comes from him and not ourselves, then we find joy.

So as you pray for your Christian family members, friends, and other brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t just pray a general, “God bless them.” Pray as Paul did for the Colossians.

And pray that God would do these things in you as well.

How are you praying?

Categories
Proverbs

Building our house

What kind of house are you building?  No, I’m not talking about your literal house.   I’m talking about your life.  What kind of life are you building?

That’s what Solomon addresses here in chapter 24.

He says,

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.  (Proverbs 24:3-4)

Whether we’re talking about our family specifically (as I think Solomon is talking about here), or our life in general, we can only establish a house that’s able to stand the test of time through the wisdom that comes from God.

Solomon goes on to say,

A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength  (5).

What kind of wisdom does God give that we can build our families and lives on?

Many are things Solomon has mentioned before.

  • Don’t envy the wicked nor make them your companions.  That will only lead you down the path towards destruction.  (1-2, 19)
  • Take the advice of others who are wise.  (6, 26)
  • Embrace wisdom in your life.  (13-14)
  • Don’t live a life of idleness.  (30-34)

But there are a few other things as well.

Solomon writes,

If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! (10)

All of us go through hard times.  Sometimes, even when we’re doing God’s will, we find hardship. 

The apostle Paul certainly did.  So did Jeremiah and the other prophets.  Even Jesus himself did. 

But during those times, we need to continue putting our trust in God.

Two people who I greatly admire showed just this kind of strength. 

One of the pastors at my church lost his wife to cancer about a year ago.  It was a painful and hard time for both of them.  But neither of them faltered in their faith. 

To the end, my pastor’s wife was still thinking of others and desired to reach out to them, even when her body no longer allowed her to even get out of bed.

Solomon notes of such people,

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again  (16).

And when my friend’s wife rose again for the final time, she opened her eyes to her Savior.

If we want to build a life that truly works, we need to build our lives on faith in God.

Solomon then talks of other ways to build our house.

He admonishes us to fear both God and the king.  (21)

In other words, we are to honor God, and all those who are in authority over us, whether in government, in our jobs, or in our church.  For as Paul writes, ultimately, God is the one who put the authorities in place (Romans 13:1). 

To rebel against him and the authorities he has put in place is to put our house on shaky ground.

Finally, Solomon writes,

Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.  (27)

In other words, don’t start something before you’re ready to take it on.  Count the cost of what you do.  If you don’t, Jesus warns you’ll be like the man who starts building a tower only to have to abandon the project later.  (Luke 14:28-30)

Too many people get married without thinking of the financial ramifications and get into trouble because of it. 

Too many people have children without adequately planning for it. 

Other people start a ministry without thinking about all that it involves and all that they’ll need to make it work.

If we don’t count the cost, all we do will be in danger of falling apart.

What kind of life are you building?

Categories
Psalms

The awesome God…who cares about you

Psalms

Many people in Japan think I’m strange, but I love thunderstorms.  I love hearing the lightning flash and the thunder roar.  Of course, this is much cooler indoors, than out.  🙂

I was looking at the Amplified Bible today, and it had an interesting note.

It said that this psalm was called the “Song of the Thunderstorm,” and was “sung during an earthshaking tempest which reminds the psalmist of the time of Noah and the deluge.”

And throughout Psalm 29, we see the awesomeness of God.

David starts with a call to worship,

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t use the word “ascribe” very often, and it seems that every time I see this psalm, I have to think about what it means.

Basically, it’s saying, “Recognize the glory and strength of God.  Recognize the glory that is due to him.  And worship him for the beauty of his holiness.”

I wonder how often we think of the “splendor” or “beauty” of holiness.

But when we see what God is, and what we were originally created to be, there’s no other word we can use except, “beautiful.”

Right now we are but a marred figure of the image of God.  Yet even so, we can sometimes see glimpses of his beauty as we look at people.

How much more beautiful is the One who is unstained by sin.

David then talks about God in nature, the roar of his voice, and the power and majesty of it.

He describes the lightning that flashes and the thunder that shakes the earth, and how in the midst of the storm, even the mighty trees are broken, its branches made bare, and its pieces “dancing” in the wind.

Through all this, David imagines hearing other voices, the voices of angels in heaven’s temple calling out “Glory,” as they worship the King upon his throne.

But if there’s one thing that strikes me, it’s how David ends this psalm.

He sings,

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.  (29:11)

What strikes me about this verse?  That the God who is awesome, the God who is holy, the God who is almighty…he cares for me.

He cares enough for me to give me strength when I am weak.  He cares enough to give my soul peace when I am anxious and fearful.

When I am weak, he is strong.  And as the Amplified Bible puts it,

 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people.

Lord, you are awesome.  You are mighty.  You are holy.  And yet you love me. 

Thank you for that.  That though I am small and seemingly insignificant, yet to you, I am highly significant.  Enough so, that you came down to this earth to die for me. 

When I am weak, be my strength.  When I am in the storm and am fearful and anxious, grant me your peace.  I love you.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Psalms

The key to victory

Psalms

It seems that David wrote Psalm 20 on the eve of a battle.  And here, the people pray for God’s blessing on him as he and his army go out.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.

May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  (Psalm 20:1-5)

It’s a beautiful prayer, but after it, David reminds them of what the key to victory is.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.  (7-8)

So many times we make our plans without God’s counsel, and just say, “Okay God, bless our plans.  Make them successful.”

Then when our plans fall apart, we wonder why God didn’t answer our prayers.

But here, David reminds them that the key to success is in putting their trust not in their own power and strength (nor in their own wisdom for that matter), but in putting their faith in God.

And that while those who trust in themselves will fall, those who put their faith in God will rise up and stand firm.

How about you?  Are you putting your faith in your own wisdom and strength, and simply asking God to bless you?  Or are you putting all your faith in God?

Are you seeking his face, not only in the battles you face, but in the planning as well?

Let us make God and his Word the foundation for all we do, not our own strength and wisdom.

Categories
Nehemiah

Lies, discernment, and strength

Nehemiah and wall

With the walls near completion, the enemies of the Jews made one last attempt to stop the work.

First, they tried to lure Nehemiah out of the city where they could ambush and kill him.

Four times they tried to get him to come out, and when Nehemiah refused, they threatened to report him to King Artaxerxes, that he was planning to become king  of Jerusalem.

Perhaps they looked at the prophesies of Zechariah (Zechariah 9) and pointed to them as proof that Nehemiah was seeking to become king.

But Nehemiah rebuffed the accusation, secure in the knowledge that one, he had no such plans, and two, that King Artaxerxes trusted him.  So he called their bluff, and indeed, that’s exactly what it was.

Next they bribed one of the priests of God to tell him to hide within the temple for sanctuary against his enemies.  But Nehemiah refused for two reasons.

First, as the leader, he couldn’t be seen as hiding from his enemies as it would have hurt the confidence the people had in him.

Second, it was against God’s law that he enter the Holy Place, and by doing so, he would’ve sinned against God, again discrediting him among the people.

They then tried in turn to weasel their way into his confidence by sending their spies to speak well of them to Nehemiah, and when that didn’t work, to intimidate him.

But Nehemiah prayed to God, saying,

Now strengthen my hands.  (Nehemiah 6:9)

And God did.  Despite all the efforts of their enemies, the wall was completed.  And everyone, even these enemies, acknowledged that it was through God’s help that the wall was rebuilt.

What can we learn from this?

Satan will often try to keep us from God’s work.  He’ll try to throw lies at us to tempt us to sin or to cause us harm.

How do we combat that?

We need discernment and wisdom from God.  And the way we do that is through his Word and through constantly being connected to him through prayer.

As we read his word and pray, not only can we discern the truth from lies, but we can discern what the will of God is in our lives.

And when Satan attacks us and tries to intimidate us, we need to come before God as Nehemiah did, and ask for his strength.

So each day, as we go out into this world to do God’s will, let us seek his discernment and wisdom, and look to him for our strength.

If we do, there is no way Satan can stop us.

Categories
Isaiah

The power of hope

Isaiah

Hope.

If there is one thing we need when facing the future, it’s hope.  Without hope, all that’s left is despair.

And that’s how the Israelites felt.  In despair.  Their lives were falling apart, and God seemed far away.  And so they cried out,

My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God.  (Isaiah 40:27)

In other words, “Where are you God?  Are you there? Do you even care?  Or is it that you care, but you’re powerless to help me?  You don’t know how to help me?”

But God replies,

Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  (28)

God’s basically saying, “What are you talking about?  Of course I know how to help.  Of course I have the power to help. 

“Don’t you know that I’m the one who created  all things?  I’m not like you who grows tired and weary.  And my wisdom reaches far beyond yours.”

And then comes words of comfort.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  (Isaiah 40:29-31)

“Are you weary?” God asks.  “I give strength to the weary.  Are you feeling weak?  I increase the power of the weak.”

What’s the secret to receiving the strength and power to carry on? 

Hope in the Lord.  Remember his goodness.  Remember his love for you.  Remember that he has a plan for you. 

If you remember all this, if you hope in him, then you will find strength to go on no matter what you’re going through. 

But not only will you have the strength to go on, you’ll have the power to soar far above your circumstances.

Have you lost hope?  Then take the time to memorize these words.  Meditate on them.

And as Paul wrote,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:13)

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Isaiah

A prayer

Isaiah

I’ve kind of gotten out of the habit of memorizing scripture and I want to get back into it.  A couple of days ago, I worked on Isaiah 30:15.  Today it’s this verse.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you.  Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. (Isaiah 33:2)

Somehow, each phrase resonates with me.

O Lord, be gracious to us.

Lord, I need your grace each day.  I fail so much.  I sin.  I let you down.  Forgive me.  Be gracious to me.  And as I receive your grace this day, let me share that grace with those around me.

We long for you.

Lord, my soul thirsts for you.  I desperately need more of you in my life.  Lord let my heart seek you.  Let it be undivided in its pursuit of you.

Be our strength every morning.

Lord, every morning as I wake, be my strength.

As I face the trials of the day, be my strength.  As I meet with difficult people, be my strength.  As I meet with difficult circumstances, be my strength.  Stand with me this day.

Be our salvation in times of distress.

When I’m weighed down by anxiety, deliver me.  When the Enemy comes against me, be my defender and my deliverer.

Lord I am weak.  I can’t fight the Enemy on my own.  So deliver me from evil.  And let me overcome.

I ask all these things in Jesus’ name, amen.