Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- December 5, 2013
“I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will walk,’ declares the Lord.” Zechariah 10:12
The Lord is strength for the journey of life. Fatigue and discouragement can assault us like a bandit on a deserted dirt road. Life is constantly swinging its bruising punches. Before long we can become beat down with no energy to continue. We know in our heads we are a child of the King, but our hearts feel no royal resilience. Fatigue requires faith.
Weariness is an opportunity for the Lord to strengthen you. He uses His people to energize and encourage one another. We are all needy and it is just a matter of time before we all have to learn how to receive. The Lord wraps His strength around the gift of a prayer warrior—someone who storms heaven on your behalf is a strength giver.
Do not let divorce, death or disappointment exclude you from the Lord’s strength. Work will get you down. People will let you down. Failure will knock you down. Your greatest fears may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Fight fear with fear. Let the fear of God strengthen you, as it fortifies your faith in Him.
“Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:11).
The greatest energy drainer may be serving God in our own strength. This is one of Satan’s most effective schemes. He wants to occupy us in good activity void of eternal energy. Serving God and others in our own strength means we are driven by what we can do for God, rather than what He can do through us. It’s the difference in being energized in our service or being drained by our service. Christ’s strength comes from being still.
He strengthens your soul daily as you sit quietly before Him. His whisper of affirmation motivates you to walk with Him. It is learning to trust in Him, not striving for Him. This total trust replenishes your soul like an ice-cold sports drink to a cyclist ascending the tallest mountain in the blazing hot Tour de France. His spirit gives life and endurance.
When you received Christ you received His strength. Strength already resides within you. He is available to you. Your Savior has no fuel crisis to reckon with, as His supernatural resources are infinite. You cannot go for encouragement too many times. Walk in His name and be energized by Him. His Holy Spirit infuses strength so be strong in the Lord!
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers” (Acts 9:31).
Prayer: Does my strength reside in my righteous Savior or in my own exhausting efforts?
Related Readings: Psalm 105:4; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 10:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:13
Post/Tweet this today: Fight fear with fear. Let the fear of God strengthen you, as it fortifies your faith in Him. #strengthintheLord
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© 2013 by Boyd Bailey. All rights reserved.
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Great Wisdom! Thanks! I can see how “being” is characterized by followship, dependence and teachability. Yet, I can also see how “doing” without “being” leads to burn out and unfaithfulness. We are called to God 1st!
Dear fellow wisdom hunter~
Thank you so much for your response to the devotional. You are so right~ “We are called to God 1st!”
I hope this Christmas season finds you and your family well and “basking in” the celebration of Our Lord’s and Savior’s birth!
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Thank you for sharing. I am gifted as a prayer warrior. Many hours a day I pray blessings upon others, I often forget to pray for myself. As I pondered this, writing in my journal yesterday, I was enlightened to the fact that was scriptural, placing others before myself. In the true essence of love that is God working through me, there is no sacrifice or feeling of depletion, I am doing exactly what God wants me to do. Pray. I have asked God if my prayers are a nuisance to Him, but scripture says, pray without ceasing, therefore I pray when I am led to pray and where I am directed to pray. Over time I have witnessed answered prayers, which delights my soul. Many prayers seem to go unanswered, then I am reminded that God’s time is not the sane as ours, but we can be assured that He is working to manifest His plan for us all, which is for good. Some prayers I may never see the results of but I know God does, and that is what matters most, He knows. So what is a prayer warrior to do? Just pray, that is my position in the kingdom for now, until the Holy Spirit directs me and i am empowered otherwise. So I will keep knocking on God’s heart, keep seeking Him, and keep asking because He does hear , He does care and He does answer. Have a most blessed day in the Son. Shalom, Shalom.