Tag Archives: god gives strength

August 23, 2024 · 5:20 AM

Being Strengthened

Each of us have days or even periods of our lives where we don’t feel like we have the strength to face the day. I remember a period in my life where I kept repeating to myself, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” It was a way to remind myself that God provides strength in those moments. When I looked up the Hebrew word for “strengthen,” it does mean to make stronger, but it also means to grow and develop. God uses some of the darkest moments in our lives to grow and develop us as a way to strengthen us for the future. He will use the struggles we face to develop our character and faith in Him. Though these moments feel impossible to stand in, keep trusting in God’s plan. He is strengthening you.

Here are some Bible verses on being strengthened:

1. I will be strength to him, and I will give him my grace to sustain him no matter what comes.

Psalms 89:21 TPT

2. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

3. May He send you help from the sanctuary (His dwelling place) And support and strengthen you from Zion!

Psalms 20:2 AMP

4. I am the Lord your God; I strengthen you and tell you, Do not be afraid; I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13 GNT

5. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NLT

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Receiving Strength

How do you react to stress? Are you the type who breaks down and bites everyone’s head off? Does it make you quiet or cause you to break down? We all react to stressful situations differently. What do you do when you look at everything and the odds are against you? Some people shut down while others rise to the challenge. Some look at the situation and feel fearful while others experience peace. When we’re in those situations, especially ones where we’re doing what God called us to, we can face them with courage and the strength that God gives. Fear comes from thinking we have to do it all in our own strength.

In Joshua 1, Moses had died and the mantle of his leadership over these millions of people fell to him. He was tasked with leading them into the Promised Land and fighting the people who lived there. It must have felt overwhelming to him to think of all he had to do and what he was responsible for. He had seen the giants and the walled cities, but he also saw the goodness the land would provide. He was one of two who trusted God to give them the land under the leadership of Moses. Now it was his responsibility to lead. That’s when God met him and reassured him that He would be with him just as He was with Moses. Then in verse 9 He said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (AMP).

In John 14, Jesus was passing the mantle of leadership to the disciples just before His crucifixion. He could sense their stress, fear and hesitation. In verse 27 He told them, “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” Whatever you’re facing, you don’t have to do it in your own strength or courage. God gives peace as we face insurmountable odds. He also gives us grace, strength and courage to stand in those moments. He will give you what you need in those moments, but you have to be willing to cross the river, walk up to the walled cities in front of you and face the giants. Receive His peace, strength and courage today.

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December 13, 2023 · 5:29 AM

Eliminate Hopelessness

In the 1950’s a professor did an experiment where he placed rats in water to see how long it would take for them to drown. Several died within minutes. He then decided to introduce hope into the experiment to see if that changed anything. He placed more rats in the water and waited until they were giving up. Once they began to drown, he reached in, grabbed them and held them a few minutes before placing them back in the water. This time they didn’t give up. They continued to swim for much longer than before. He wrote that the rats quickly learn that the situation is not hopeless and when hopelessness is eliminated, they do not die.

When Abraham was 75 years old, he had given up on having kids. He began to reason and come to terms that everything he had acquired in life would go to his servant. He was hopeless at that point, but God visited him and told him he would have a son. Abraham was excited and believed God. However, a year passed without Sarah getting pregnant. Then another. Soon a decade passed. Then another. Because God eliminated hopelessness, Abraham continued to believe. When he turned 100, his wife finally became pregnant and had a son. They named him Isaac, which means laughter. God did the impossible for a couple and all they could do was laugh when He did.

Isaiah 40 was written to Israel while they were in captivity in Babylon. They were on the verge of giving up. God spoke to them on verse 31 and said, ”But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak“ (GNT). If God can give a 100 year old a baby and deliver an entire nation from captivity, He can meet your need. He will eliminate hopelessness from your situation and give you strength to keep going. When God is involved, it is never too late, never too far gone and never too hopeless. One word from Him and the situation will turn around. Receive His strength today to keep going and to trust Him.

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February 3, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Receiving God’s Strength

Have you ever felt like you had to be strong for someone? What happened? After a while, your strength ran out. Whether we’re fighting our own battles or helping someone else fight there’s, we’re not supposed to do it in our own strength. We are to find that kind of strength in the Lord. When the Bible tells us to be strong, the word usually means to receive strength. You and I need to ask God to give us His strength and grace for each situation because it is made perfect in our weakness. Trying to do everything in our own strength will leave us depleted, burnt out and open to attacks. We receive His strength when we’re humble enough to know we need it and ask for it. He’s willing to give it to us, but we must realize our limitations and ask.

Here are some Bible verses on receiving God’s strength.

1. May you be made strong with all the strength which comes from his glorious power, so that you may be able to endure everything with patience. And with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:11-12 GNT

2. May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality].

Ephesians 3:16 AMP

3. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

4. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26 ESV

5. Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power.

Ephesians 6:10 GNT

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The Law Of Grace

Throwback Thursday is a new feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other writing ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

One of the things I like to tell people is that the deeper the sorrow or harder the trial, the greater amount of God’s grace you will experience. God gives us grace sufficient for our trials. When Paul was faced with a trial that God wouldn’t remove after much prayer, God spoke to him in II Corinthians 12:9. He said, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]” (AMP).

God gives grace, favor, strength, and mercy according to our need. He knows what we are facing and what we need in order to bear the weight of our situation. You’ve heard of Newton’s Third Law, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” To me, it is the Law of God’s Grace. For every force or trial that comes against you, there is an equal amount of Grace to support you. God gives you enough grace to enable you to stand in times of sorrow and tests.

Paul wrote about this Law of God’s Grace in Ephesians 4:7. He said, “Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift.” Each of us receive a different portion and type of God’s grace according to our need. It is proportionate to our circumstance and is given as a free gift to us. That grace that God gives is tailor made for us because He knows what we are facing and cares for us.

The greater the trial, the greater the grace. I’ve hit rock bottom in my life, but I’ve never found the bottom of God’s grace. It is deeper than anything you or I will ever face. It will always be sufficient to your need. When you go through deep struggles, you get a glimpse of the depths of God’s grace that few people ever do. The longer you endure hardship, the longer you can remain in the crucible, the deeper your knowledge of God will be and the firmer your trust in Him will be. The Law of God’s Grace proves He will not fail you when you need Him most.

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