“I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4: 12-13
I think most people would agree that moving is not easy. It’s challenging mentally, emotionally, and physically. Recently, we have been helping our oldest daughter move into her first house, and I was once again reminded of the physical toll moving takes on the body. Bumps, bruises, sore muscles, and swollen joints are evidence of our aging bodies. Lifting, pushing, and pulling furniture and boxes becomes difficult at best and impossible in many cases as we age. Watching a professional mover single-handedly hoist a recliner upstairs with his mere strength is simultaneously remarkable and discouraging. Accepting limitations on our strength and inevitable physical weakness as we grow older is a part of aging, but it should never be a part of our spiritual lives. Strength comes in many forms, as well as weakness.
Moral and ethical weaknesses, financial and physical weaknesses, and occupational and parental weaknesses are a few that come to mind. But the most debilitating weakness is in our walk with God. This world will present many sufferings and challenges that can be generated by our weaknesses or the weaknesses of others in our lives. No matter what we face, we need strength to persevere. Not human bodily strength but God-given strength. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10 to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” But what if you don’t feel strong right now? What if your current circumstances feel like it has sapped every last ounce of your strength? The Bible tells us that is precisely where we need to be for God’s strength to take over. The Lord says to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (NLT).
Plugging into God’s strength and overcoming weakness doesn’t just happen because we believe what the Bible says about God’s power and might. We have to access God’s strength on a practical level and apply it to our daily lives. What does relying on God’s strength and power look like, feel, taste, and smell like? All the strength we need for the challenges of this life is found within the pages of God’s Word (2 Peter 1: 3-8). We must read it, listen to it, memorize it, meditate on and walk in obedience to the Word. David Jeremiah tells us, “Like loving words from an encouraging friend, the words you find in the pages of Scripture will strengthen your soul with wisdom, joy, and light (Psalm 19:7-8). They’ll impart the certainty of God’s Word to give you strength.”
Worship and prayer direct our focus to the One who gives us strength. It breathes air into the deflated and discouraged soul. Tears of pain and sorrow may flow freely during heartfelt worship, but He catches every tear (Psalm 56:8) and can be trusted to turn those tears into joy amid any circumstance. Simply praising God’s name in adoration and love can impart a sense of power and strength found only in worship of Him.
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14). Waiting for anything or anyone in this chaotic world is not a popular trend. We want all things to be instantaneous, including an immediate fix to all the trying circumstances of life. But that is not God’s way. The Bible is filled with verses encouraging us to wait on God’s timing and accept his timeline. It is the most difficult to practice because it is in direct opposition to our world today. But as we wait in reliance on Him, we are strengthened.
I pray that when we are weak, we realize that is when we are the most available to our Lord. Always remember, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). That is a promise and your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is of our daughter’s new home.