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Friday, November 24, 2017

The Promise of Strength

Have you ever felt like you just can't go on?  I don't mean it's been a tough day and you are tired and looking forward to going to bed.  I mean it feels as though life has plotted against you for your destruction and has heaped upon you more than you can emotionally bear.  It can seem there are days or weeks where all you can think is, "God!  I can't take anymore!"  Depression has set in and is wreaking havoc with your emotions making it difficult at best to wake up each morning.  Well, lift up your head!  The God that raised Jesus from the dead brings salvation to our every situation.  Not only does He care about each situation, but He cares about our ability to make it through them. The Psalmist knew this.  He even prayed to encourage himself and spoke to his own heart. 


Psalms 118:14  The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

Ah...see?  No matter the situation, you can talk to yourself and remind yourself He is your strength!  He is your salvation, not just for your eternal life, but in every situation He can provide deliverance.

Isaiah 41:10  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

The Lord told the Children of Israel a few things in the scripture above.
  1. He is with them.  Remember, He never leaves us nor forsakes us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
  2. Do not be dismayed.  
  3. He is your God. He made this a personal statement. 
  4. He will strengthen them.
  5. He will help them.
  6. He will uphold with His righteous right hand.
Don't we forget sometimes that He is truly a Great God and a Mighty King?  We get so wrapped up in our own thoughts and problems that forget He is with us always.  He told the children of Israel that He would strengthen them and help them.  How often do we ask the Lord to give us strength for something that we feel like is just unbearable?  How often do we ask the Lord for His help? 

We get so wrapped up in what society tells us.  We can do anything we put our minds to. We don't need help.  We should be able to handle it by ourselves.  We are independent.  In the case of women, we want to so focus on our equality and our independence from all things that say we are the weaker sex.  We think we have something to prove to the world.  Well, guess what?  in John 15:5 Jesus said that we cannot do anything apart from Him.  He is the vine, we are the branches.  He is the source of life.  He gives strength to the branches that grow from Him.  And a branch cannot continue to grow once it has been removed from the vine.  It shrivels up and dies.  We have to stay in the vine for the nourishment necessary to continue in growth.  

Not only did God say He would strengthen and help, but that He would uphold the Children of Israel with His righteous right hand.  Have you ever stopped to consider what He means by His right hand?  The "right hand" means several things.  First, it is a symbol of authority and power.  Jesus is at the right hand of the Father.  It is a position of honor. It is a position of authority.  The right hand of God is also a symbol of strength and the strength of God never fails.  

So, when things become too much, when you feel hopeless, desperate, unable to continue...just remember this:

Psalms 73:26  My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

While your heart may hurt.  You may feel a failure. God is the strength of your heart.  He wants you to cry out to Him and allow Him to extend that strength to you.  

Isaiah 40:28-31  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.  (29)  He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.  (30)  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,  (31)  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

God does not faint. He does not grow weary.  Even the young, the epitome of strength, will faint and grow weary, but those who wait on the Lord, shall have their strength renewed.  The strength given to us from the Creator of the Earth, the everlasting God, doesn't fail.  It allows us to mount up with wings like eagles. We can run our race and not grow weary and tired.  We can walk and never faint.  Our strength will fail.  But the strength of God is sustaining forever.  

No matter the situation you are facing today, don't face it alone.  God has promised strength.  He also said He would uphold us with His righteous right hand.  The holidays are a very difficult time for so many people for a number of reasons.  If that is you today, please just reach out to the Lord and allow Him to cover you, to strengthen you, to love you.  You will find that what He provides is more than you could expect, want or need.  He is the God of plenty.  

Join the discussion on Facebook.

If you are facing the holidays alone and without someone, or if you feel hopeless and worthless like life is not worth going on anymore, please reach out.  Go to the facebook page through the link above.  There is a phone number in the profile.  Call that number and someone will answer.  Or email me.  rushingcindy@gmail.com.   Please don't feel alone.  


  


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