Gaining His Strength PS/K – Beyond PhD Post Docs
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being. Ephesians 3:16
From one end of the Bible to the other, we read of God strengthening His people. When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, they praised the Lord, saying: “The Lord is my strength and my song.” (Exodus15:2 NIV).
Deuteronomy 33:25 says: “As your days so shall your strength be.” Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not sorrow for the Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Psalm 27: 1 declares, “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 46: 1 avows, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Isaiah said, “Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength” (26:4). Isaiah 40:31 promises that “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
The apostle Paul told us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he said in Phillipians 4:13.
BOTTOM LINE:
Throughout the Bible, we find a very simple formula. When the Word goes in, praise goes up, faith goes out, and God goes forth to strengthen His people.
David Jeremiah “Sanctuary: Finding Moments of Truth In The Presence Of God.” July 28
For Further Reflection with merlin: Truth be told personally, I’ve less problems with desiring or longing for more of the Word coming in; (sometimes I think I’m off the scale too positive on that one, nearly cloistered as a monk in an academic ivory tower separated from reality) or even with my praise going up, for it just flows! However, this bit about my faith doing anything uniquely confirmingly positive for Him some days, as characterized by that overwhelming sense of His presence within me, or it being all about me, and particularly in this going before me, rather than merely going out, can be very cloudy at best!
Doesn’t “going before me” imply a greater internalization of our faith and trust going forward effectively in our daily living, more than merely “spewing out” out noise about our faith as in I Cor 13:1, as a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal? Especially since we’ve heard so many Biblical examples of exemplary faith since our childhood literally imprinted in our psyche? My two cents on why I struggle with faith is self contained, in other words, it’s my fault for not applying His abundant ever-flowing resources.
But now, if/when I hear that you’re struggling, I am more apt to place the blame corporately; in the way we structure and function within our church communities; perhaps because we’re not being new testamently real, do as I say, not as I do, all form with no substance, and stiflingly boring . It is my belief that for generations, our children and young adults have not witnessed a Holy Spirit inspired cultivating anchored community body of believers living continually, seven days each week and not just for an hour Sunday mornings, in an authentic loving sacrificial transparent culture that absolutely gives witness to His Spirit’s transformed living, compellingly attracting both those disconnected within our walls and the cultural heathen outside, to the New Testament’s three premier texts; the book of John, especially the Olivet Discourse, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Acts of the Apostles.
This is simply where I’m at and how I see it this morning, and where I find I’m most apt to struggle at times, seeking authenticity. And for myself over the past months, if not year, the Spirit is continually circling me back to the realization that perhaps my growing in faith, be it internalized individually, or corporately in & about our worshiping community, is not going to gain me a practical vibrant invitational observable perspective, either within me, or for sure, not from me to those in our spheres of influence whom we encounter in the often “scummy” ponds of living while we’re dog-paddling about the lily pads.
Somehow I’ve been gifted to have internalized the understanding that it is difficult, or nigh impossible, to have faith unless our minds embrace that information which comprises the gospel message from the three bodies of texts mentioned above, because there are specific facts while seeking His transformation we must embrace, such as Christian in Paul Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress so amply demonstrates. And I’m compelled to realize one of those first such specifics, is being given His gift of peace.
Looking back now in similar fashion to an NDE’s life review of my journey where I was literally carried thru those devastatingly tough times, but then after those times of crisis, I realize now I too often did not continue on that path of enjoying the depth of peace that God desired for me as spoken of in Roman 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.” What does that mean? Is God my enemy? Have I been at war with God? I do know God is holy and we humans are sinful. We are on opposite sides of the Sin void crevice and as creatures thus separated from God, we are at enmity with God, and only the cross of Jesus can provide the bridge to eternal life and that illusive satisfying peace.
The Bible’s good news is that God provided Jesus Christ that we might have peace with God. The Cross beautifully illustrates that Jesus Christ , the God / Man, reached up and took the hand of the Father, and with His other hand, reached down and took hold of we fallen human beings, and being the only unique personality who was both God and man, brought the Holy God and sinful humans together and made peace between God and man. He is our peace. He is the Prince of Peace because He is the One who resolved the enmity separating us from a Holy Almighty God. Accept His forgiveness for your sin and your ensuing obedience to His Spirits promptings provides His deeply satisfying “In His Sanctuary” pervading peace with God.
I speak frequently of our perceptions. People today are often too uptight & frazzled from being manipulated on their chaotic life’s treadmills to ever fathom a perception of living in peace. Simply impossible they say as they continue their addictive behaviors! So, perhaps God by shutting down this flow of mindless trivia to the deceived, is one of His first miracles He performs for we humans to begin the awareness process of being “called” to gain His perspective, so we can begin receiving His gift of salvation. And that “awareness” is transformed to facts of the gospel message in our lives – objective, quantifiable, expressible information.
The Bible does speak of false gospels, which means someone has the facts wrong, purposefully or accidentally. So literally, the TRUTH is what has to be perceived and received as “Step One” in gaining faith. And that truth comes by hearing the Word of God.
Have you YET heard the Word of God, whether read, been told, invited, prompted, compelled, perhaps literally felt you received a digital “download from the His Cloud,” were encouraged, even lovingly disciplined, synchronized, etc., with His Truth? Step One: Ask Him for His Awareness, and then listen. That begins the process towards His peace….