Written on the evening of June 17, 2011: This post is dedicated in honor and memory to Paul Garrison. I love you Papa.
As I sit here right now, I am weary and weak. After a wonderful week of ministry at Vacation Bible School, it has closed with a visit to the pediatrician for my daughter, a fever and migraine for myself, and a long journey of seeing my husband's grandfather prepare to go home to his Heavenly Father for our family. As I take a moment to ponder all that has happened in the day, the Spirit of the Lord whispers to me, "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 40:30).
The last three months have been a battle ground for me spiritually and physically. However, I have felt the Spirit of the Lord upon me as He has molded me and has carried me through this time. He has been my shelter and my strength.
I will not analyze this verse, because that is not the intention of this post. However, let me say this: weariness is a part of life. It is a result of living in a fallen world. Yet, we have the choice of hope. We have the choice to hope and in whom to place that hope. We can choose to lose hope and give up the fight of shining our light for Christ, succuming to the patterns of the world. We can also place our hope in false "gods", be it our own efforts, others, substances, habits, false philosophies, etc. However, those who hope in the Lord will unltimately find their renewal. Not because of some hocus pocus power, but because they know that there is more than these present trials. If we persevere, one day we will stand victorious with Christ in glory because He overcame the grave. This truth has given me the strength to endure and to continue to proclaim, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."
You Are Becoming... So Who Are You Becoming?
Showing posts with label Strength. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strength. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Daily Challenge - June 8, 2011 - Sovereignty is Strength
Habakkuk 3:19 - The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of the deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.
This is the final verse of the book of Habakkuk. This small book in the Old Testament is about a righteous man wrestling with the unrighteousness in the world. The book is filled with the prophet Habakkuk's struggle with how God was working in the world. At the beginning of the book, the prophet cried out to God because the people of Judah (the southern nation of Israel after they split) were wicked; yet they remain unjudged by the Lord. When God answered that He would send the pagan Chaldeans to judge the nation, Habakkuk still did not understand how God could seemingly bless a nation who were worse than the ones God was judging. However, God explains they will receive their due judgment. The book ends with the prophet realizing that his trust in and worship of the Lord must come, not from the temporal blessings He bestows, but on His character and nature that has been proven throughout the ages.
The Sovereign Lord is our strength. It is His ultimate control over all going on that allows us to continue on when we feel like we have nothing left to go on or give. The Lord operates on a plan that is grander than our own. Our temporal minds cannot comprehend it. Yet, He is just. He is righteous. He is good. He is in control. Once we stop arguing with Him and trust in His sovereignty, it will be our strength. Knowing that the Lord has a plan and purpose for all that is going on will enable us to do things we never thought possible. Habakkuk did not see resolution at the end of the book. Yet, he worshipped God because God was God.
The challenge today is to think about what area of life you are struggling in trusting in the Lord's Sovereignty. Perhaps it is a prolonged illness, something that seems unjust in your eyes, a prayer that you have not received the answer you desired. Ask God to help you see His sovereignty in that situation and help you look at it through a perspective greater than your own. Then ask Him to give you the strength that comes from Him to help you faithfully worship Him daily.
This is the final verse of the book of Habakkuk. This small book in the Old Testament is about a righteous man wrestling with the unrighteousness in the world. The book is filled with the prophet Habakkuk's struggle with how God was working in the world. At the beginning of the book, the prophet cried out to God because the people of Judah (the southern nation of Israel after they split) were wicked; yet they remain unjudged by the Lord. When God answered that He would send the pagan Chaldeans to judge the nation, Habakkuk still did not understand how God could seemingly bless a nation who were worse than the ones God was judging. However, God explains they will receive their due judgment. The book ends with the prophet realizing that his trust in and worship of the Lord must come, not from the temporal blessings He bestows, but on His character and nature that has been proven throughout the ages.
The Sovereign Lord is our strength. It is His ultimate control over all going on that allows us to continue on when we feel like we have nothing left to go on or give. The Lord operates on a plan that is grander than our own. Our temporal minds cannot comprehend it. Yet, He is just. He is righteous. He is good. He is in control. Once we stop arguing with Him and trust in His sovereignty, it will be our strength. Knowing that the Lord has a plan and purpose for all that is going on will enable us to do things we never thought possible. Habakkuk did not see resolution at the end of the book. Yet, he worshipped God because God was God.
The challenge today is to think about what area of life you are struggling in trusting in the Lord's Sovereignty. Perhaps it is a prolonged illness, something that seems unjust in your eyes, a prayer that you have not received the answer you desired. Ask God to help you see His sovereignty in that situation and help you look at it through a perspective greater than your own. Then ask Him to give you the strength that comes from Him to help you faithfully worship Him daily.
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