“Ask Me to be your Strength” I heard Him say.
Not in an audible voice. But in a voice that thundered a personal whisper to my heart – louder than anything my ears could hear.
It was during a time when a whirlwind of burdens and busyness kept my head spinning and my heart overwhelmed. I needed to be strong but my strength was gone.
My soul cried out, “Lord, give me strength! I can’t do this, God!”
I was finally where I needed to be. Utterly dependent upon Him.
God tells us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). But His Word also teaches us that He doesn’t only give us strength…He IS Strength. He defines Strength by the sheer essence of His being (Psalm 27:1, Psalm 18:1, Psalm 37:9, Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7).
In Joshua 1:6, God told Joshua to… “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”
God knew the way ahead for Joshua and the children of Israel was going to require strength and courage. Strength because the journey was hard. Courage because it was also scary.
I’ve learned that the same is true for us.
But courage and strength aren’t always what they think they are.
IN FACT, STRENGTH AND COURAGE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS – BUT THEY WORK IN TANDEM…
- Strength comes from God… You ask Him to GIVE you STRENGTH and you ask Him to BE your strength…and He will.
- COURAGE is the OVERFLOW that springs from GOD’S STRENGTH at work in you.
STRENGTH gives you POWER.
COURAGE give you HEART.
When life hurls hard circumstances our way, it is STRENGTH & COURAGE that equips us to face each day in bold, audacious, and selfless ways.
But STRENGTH & COURAGE DOESN’T ALWAYS ROAR. Sometimes, as Mary Anne Radmacher says,
“it’s that small voice at the end of the day that whispers, I’ll try again tomorrow.”
Maybe like me, there’s been some things you have tried before and they didn’t work out. Maybe you felt like giving up.
What you need, sweet friend, is a dose of God-given strength that overflows into the courage you need when the journey is hard and the battle is real. It is that strength and courage that will give you the tenacity you need to not give up and the determination you need to try again tomorrow.
Do you feel weak? Call on God to be your Strength.
Need courage for the next step? Let God’s strength in you, flow through you and give you the heart to take one more step…and keep going until you finally move from where you are to where God wants you to be.
Dear friend…Be strong in the power of HIS might. Put on the armor of God so that you can take your stand.
- Stand for truth in a world full of lies.
- Stand for righteousness in a world that doesn’t have a clue what righteousness is.
- Stand for God’s glory – as a testimony to who He is and what He can do in and through the life of someone who will just say, YES to God and believe God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
Here’s what I’ve learned about how to get the strength and courage I need to arise from where I am to where God wants me to be…
I simply stop flailing to be strong on my own and ask the Lord to be my Strength.
When we realize just how weak we are – and we call on the Lord… not only to give us strength… but to be our Strength – He will.
And that courage we need to do the next thing will spring from the overflow of His strength at work in us.
Remember, apart from Him…we can do nothing. But through Him, there’s nothing we can’t do.
How can I pray for you today?
*This has been a partial excerpt from Stephanie’s conference and retreat message series, ARISE.