Supernatural Strength

“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 27:1, KJV

Have you ever felt like you didn’t have the strength to finish the task? Ever felt weak - so weak that a hundred cups of coffee wouldn’t help? It seems like we all face times or even seasons when we feel like that. When we do, we need to remember the powerful words from today’s text:

“The Lord is the strength of my life.”

Those are some pretty powerful words-- words that you can bank on. Jesus has never run out of strength. In His weakest moment while being tempted in the wilderness He had the strength to stare down the devil and laugh off every temptation. That’s all well and good, but how does that help us? Well, here’s the good news, are you ready? His strength is available to us. I like what Psalm 18:32 says, “It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.”

When the Apostle Paul was going through some stuff that weakened him greatly, he turned to God and this was God’s response, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Let’s not forget that God designed us to be dependent upon Him, and that’s a good thing. Relying on the strength of God is not a sign of weakness, it is an expression of faith. God is all we need, He is more than enough, and His strength is indeed sufficient for all of us.

So lean on Him today. Call upon the name of Jesus, and see how much you can accomplish when you trust God to bring you all the strength you need.

Call of Duty

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, KJV

Believe it or not, this one verse changed the course of my life. Have you ever gotten to the point where you just said, “God, I really need some clear direction for where I’m heading and what I’m doing with my life. I really, really, really need you to speak to me.” I did, and then I read this verse.

Isn’t it amazing how God can wrap up your whole life mission and purpose and hand it to you with a bow on top with one simple phrase? That’s what He did for me with today’s text, “…fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Wow, is that it God? My whole duty can be wrapped up into two simple assignments: fear God and keep His commandments? Don’t you think that’s a staggering revelation? I’m expecting a long dissertation, and God gives me two things. They are the same two things that He gives to all of us. Fear Him and keep His commandments. So let’s talk about that.

(1) Fear God

Now that doesn’t mean fear like you have to live your whole life afraid of God, waiting from Him to drop the hammer on you. The word really just means to respect, or to have a reverence for. In other words, it’s a choice that we make to honor God, to honor His word, and to respect the things of God. It means moving past the point of being a once-a-week casual observer of Him to becoming a fully devoted follower of Him through His son Jesus everyday of your life. And trust me after thirty years of seeking after Him with my whole heart; it’s been worth every minute of it.

(2) Keep His commandments

You’d think this would be pretty easy, but a lot of people don’t know His commandments. It all starts with the Bible, the Word of God. It’s the road map for life, and the guidebook for becoming who God intended you to be. It’s all found right there in the Book. So, if you’re willing to allow God to use it for shaping and molding you, it won’t take long to see an amazing transformation of your character. But, it requires some effort on your part.  You’ve got to read it, study it, and when you come to something that slaps you across the face, you have to suck it up and do what it says.

So today, let’s remember that our call of duty requires two simple things. Fear God and keep His commandments—it’s our duty.

If You Don’t Quit - You Win!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9, NKJV

Well, here we are, it’s only the second Friday of 2013. Last year is now in the history books-- it’s over, finished, another year gone, and a new one is here. The slate is clean and it’s time for a fresh start.

Did you know that the course of this new year is more dependent upon what you do today than what you did all of last year, combined? Today is important because the decisions that you and I make today will set the stage for what 2013 will look like.

That’s why I love today’s text from Joshua. It’s a charge from God himself to be strong and of good courage as we look ahead. But in the same breath He also reminds us to not be afraid, nor dismayed at our future, because He promises that He’s never going to leave us alone.

What would be possible in 2013 if God was helping you, every day, to fulfill His vision and His purpose in your life? Just imagine what you could accomplish if everything you put your hand to prospered this year. What’s stopping you from thinking BIG, from thinking POSSIBLE, from thinking YES rather than NO, from thinking JUMP rather than STAY? Who said you can’t change? Who said you can’t accomplish great things?

Don’t even think about playing it safe this year. In Joshua’s case, it would have been much easier to stay in the desert, to maintain the status quo, but there was so much more that God had for him and the children of Israel. God had a land filled with milk and honey waiting for them if they didn’t quit, if they pushed ahead, if they really trusted God and didn’t quit before they even got started.

Listen, you can do it. Your life can be different, you can reach those goals of yours. Stop putting it off another day, another month, another year. It’s time to think bigger than you’ve ever thought before, it’s time to dream beyond where you’ve ever dreamed before. You’ve got all it takes when you’ve got God on your side. He is more than able to help, more than able to supply what you need, if you’ll believe it and receive it.

So, be strong and of good courage, don’t quit on yourself or on God. Push forward beyond the restraints of fear. You can make it, if you don’t quit-- you win!