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God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. Psalms 18:32
When life’s challenges seem insurmountable, the Psalmist reminds us that our strength doesn’t come from our own abilities, but from God Himself.
This is hard for us because our society tells us that we are the masters of our own destiny. But in God’s kingdom on earth we rest in his strength. When we feel weak, inadequate, or overwhelmed, we can turn to Him, knowing that He equips us with the strength we need to press on.
The hope we have in Jesus is not just wishful thinking, it’s the anchor of our souls in the midst of life’s storms. He is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. When we place our trust in Him, He guides us through every trial and tribulation. We don’t have to rely on our own wisdom or strength to navigate life’s challenges.
Instead, we can lean on Jesus, knowing that He has already overcome the world. As we surrender our lives to Him, He empowers us to walk in victory, no matter what circumstances we face.
Hold fast to the truth that we can trust in God’s strength to sustain us and His faithfulness to keep our path secure. We can lives in confident hope in the promise that Jesus is with us every step of the way.
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8
One night I got a phone call from my father. He told me that my brother had been killed in a tragic accident. I was 600 miles from home. That call came over 40 years ago and I still remember the feeling today as though it were yesterday. He’d died too soon in my book. While I know I’ll see him again someday in heaven, it still hurts that I never got to say goodbye.
The more I travel this journey called life, the more I’m made aware of its uncertainty. My story is repeated thousands, perhaps millions of times throughout the day. Pain and discouragement can come from a variety of situations. Spouses served divorce papers. Doctors delivering bad news. Dad’s not returning home from work. Life is fragile.
The loss of a loved one through death is painful to be sure, perhaps the most painful thing many of us will go through. But sometimes I think the loss of someone emotionally is even more painful. We all know (and may have experienced) the pain of people we thought loved us suddenly leaving us.
Relationship is replaced by rejection. Support is replaced by criticism. Trust is replaced with finding out you’ve been attacked behind your back and thrown under the next bus.
Some friends of mine were foster parents for years to many children of various ages. Some stayed a day or two. Others stayed for a couple months. They ended up adopting one girl at the age of seven. They loved her as their own. Yet ten years later she robbed them and ran away, never to be heard from again.
For ten years they gave her their heart. The stealing of personal possessions hurt to be sure, but the pain of stealing their heart was far more painful.
Deuteronomy 31:8 gives us an amazing and comforting promise. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Here is reality. People will leave you one way or the other. Relationships will be broken. Deception will happen. Abandonment will attack your soul.
We have a Heavenly Father who promises to always love us. We have a Savior who calls us ‘friend’. We have access to the Spirit of God who promises to lead, guide and comfort us. Don’t allow the temporary attacks of fickle relationships detract from the everlasting love God has for you!
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1
I love watching sports and will often cheer for the underdog, unless my team is playing of course. After a big game, sportscasters will often interview coaches and star players to get their take on the win.
In all the post-game shows I’ve watched, I’ve yet to hear a player say something like, “I’m amazing. You know, the guys all know they can’t win without me on their side. I’m truly a hero!”
The old cliché, ‘there is no I in team’ is true. Each person plays their part. In fact, sometimes the winning team may have less talent than the team they beat but pulled off the win because of tenacity and teamwork.
David begins Psalm 133 with praise for teamwork. He calls it harmony, but harmony is really about working together as a team, whether it be in a family, the workplace, the playing field or church. Harmony brings victory, division brings discord and defeat.
There are four things living in harmony can do for us. First of all, living in harmony shows strength in Solidarity. Harmony provides strength that becomes a source of hope for everyone involved. It helps us to believe that challenges can be overcome and goals and dreams can be achieved together.
Secondly, living in harmony distributes the weight of the burden and lightens the load. Shared responsibility makes the journey we are on easier to bear because we know we have mutual support.
The third thing living in harmony can offer us is connection. Harmony provides a source of encouragement and a sense of belonging. The bonds that form through harmony reinforce our sense of value. We realize we aren’t alone.
Lastly, living in harmony can be a source of inspiration an motivation. When we know we have a team behind us we can be motivated to perform above the level of our ability. We begin to believe in ourselves and each other.
The early Christian church was devoted to one another. They operated in harmony and changed the world. Think of ways you can join with others to make a difference for Jesus.
I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. Joshua 14:11
“Age is just a number.”
Oftentimes, when people say that they are making a statement about the value they see in themselves.
“Don’t count me out!”
“Don’t let my age influence how you see me!”
“See my value, not my gray hair!”
Caleb was a man of faith. In his younger days, he was a courageous and mighty warrior. As he grew older, he watched as faithless family members died around him due to their lack of faith in God’s promise to give them the Promised Land.
We don’t hear much about Caleb as the people of Israel conquered the land God had promised them, but when it came time to claim the portion of land Moses promised him, he spoke up.
To paraphrase, he said something like this, “Don’t count me out! Don’t let my age fool you. My body may be older, but I can still perform the things God has called me to do.”
Paul says something similar to Timothy although it is regarding the other end of the spectrum. While Caleb was old, Timothy was young. Some may have looked down on Caleb because he was old. Some may have looked down on Timothy because he was young.
The message God has for us is this, “Don’t let age influence your influence.” As a member of the older generation, I need to learn from those younger than me, but also realize God’s not done with me yet.
Those in younger generations would be wise to glean knowledge and wisdom from those who have gone before us. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of history we are going to repeat them.
At whatever stage of life you are in, God can use you in mighty ways. Our world will be a better place is we glean Godly wisdom from those in every generation. God has walked through each generation. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
Keep learning. Keep active. Keep open to what others have/are learning. Learning is a life-long process God has ordained for our success.
Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7
Let’s be honest. Even if you love your job, we all have those days when we just want to quit and retire to some deserted island.
This is especially true for those of us blessed with the opportunity to work with people. I say that with all sincerity. I love people. I love to hear their stories. I love when I can see a light in their eyes that says ‘they get it’, that I’ve made a difference.
But if you work with people, or even just live with people, I think you will agree that sometimes we can all be, well, difficult! People can be critical of our most sincere efforts if those efforts don’t meet their expectations. People can throw you under the bus when they want to protect themselves. People can scrutinize your words when they doubt your integrity.
Charlie Brown, the great philosopher in Charles Schultz’s ‘Peanuts Comic Strip’ is accused by his nemesis Lucy of hating mankind. Charlie replies by saying, “I love mankind, IT’S PEOPLE I CAN’T STAND!” I think we can all relate.
Some of us have been stomped on, misrepresented, criticized when we’ve done our best and taken advantage of. Sometimes, sad to say, this is all done in the name of Jesus!
So, how do we get beyond the feelings of rejection leveled against us? Paul gives us an idea. When we ‘work with people’ in whatever capacity we are subject to their opinions and standards.
The attitude we each must take is to remember we work ‘with’ people but we work ‘for’ Jesus. When we work for Jesus it’s a different story. He’s the one that created you. He’s the one that empowers you through His Holy Spirit. He’s the one that gave His life so you could live yours.
So, let me suggest that starting today you quit working for people and start working for Jesus. His expectations of you are that you will fail even on your best days. His requirements are to love Him. His promise is to never leave you hanging. And He’ll never throw you under the next bus!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 