Tag: strength

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The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!

Nehemiah 8: “Do Not Grieve, This Day is holy”

When you hear or read God’s Word, do you grieve as these had done? The people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Law. [Neh 8:9] What is our response when the Word is read each day or each time we are with others in the church? It had been 70 years. at least that these had heard the words of the Law, and Ezra had studied and prepared his heart to read it to the people upon their request.

We fail to understand these words because we are so blessed to have the Word in our language at our fingertips. Yet, these had not only not heard it but had not understood it. It took Ezra, the Levites, and others to help the people understand, and when they did, they were pricked in their hearts. The people were admonished not to grieve but to rejoice and share this news with others.

This is our challenge: share the good news of Jesus and His resurrection, and let your joy be evident to others. 

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Strength for the Battle

two trees picture the believing and unbelieving

Jer. 17-20; Psalm 1 In God’s garden, there are two trees. One is strong and produces fruit in its season. The other is barren and produces no fruit. The former are the trees with a robust root system because they drink from the living water. [Jn 7:38] The latter is a tree planted away from the stream and pictures the unbelieving of our world.

The psalmist and Jeremiah saw the barren trees and heard their scoffing. Like today, these trees said, I don’t need the living water; I am ok here in the field; what you believe is ok for you but not for me. They stand and watch and scoff; the tree by the river is strong now, but watch when the storms come. We will be strong, and he will falter. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, the barren trees are spiritually blind. Jesus told them, you avidly study, thinking you have eternal life, but you miss the greatest gift of all; the very presence of the Messiah standing before you. [Jn 5:39]

At seeing all of this, Jeremiah is ready to throw in the towel, except for one thing; God’s message was like a fire locked up inside of him, and he needed to release it.

There will always be the scoundrels and scoffers who plot and slander. But, he who chooses to meditate on God derives the strength to face another day and another spiritual battle. [Ps 119:23]

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The Master’s Tool is to Forge us in Fire~

forged in firesa2 Cor 13 “Forged in the Fire”

Just as in olden times weapons were made by those called “bladesmiths.” A Bladesmither on the TV show “Forged in Fire” takes a piece of steel, heats it to extreme temperatures to make the strongest weapon available. The weapon is then tested by others as to its sharpness and strength.

That analogy is like the message of the gospel. Christ was tested in the wilderness, mocked and scorned by those who saw him as weak. They sought to remove his weakness through the cross. Even though He was “crucified by reason of weakness … he lives because of God’s power.” We too, as believers, are seen by the world as weak but our inner strength comes because of the power of Christ who overcame the cross to be our strength. “Therefore, [Paul says] I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

Are we content with our weaknesses allowing Christ to “forge us in fire” or do we strive to be strong in our own strength? Sometimes God sends us through the forging process to make us strong as Christ.Weathering the fire makes one strong just as the bladesmith makes the steel stronger in the fire. A believer is made strong in the “fire” that God allows so that we may be able to face the onslaught of the adversary and be holy for His kingdom work. In your weakness do you see the end result as more strength to face the next trial?

Don’t be fooled by the adversary’s words—let God take you to the forge; get your strength from the cross.

 

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