Be Strong and Courageous

Monday, April 23, 2018

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;
Your mighty Defender is always the same.
Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;
Vict'ry is sure you call on His name.

Refrain:
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And rejoice for the vict'ry is yours.

lyrics by: Linda Lee Johnson 

 I want to be strong. I want to move the furniture whenever I see the need. I want to pick up a big bag of dog food and toss it in my cart at the grocery store. I want to hike up a mountain and not get winded. Well, in order to do all those things, I must be in good shape. I must eat right, exercise, and use good back mechanics. I can't expect to live like a couch potato and have any strength to speak of.

Likewise with spiritual things, I want to be strong. I want to face life's difficulties with stamina and direction. I want to stand firm on what I believe and to make God proud of me. Well, I can't do that unless I know His word and trust in Him. Head knowledge without faith is a little like being a couch potato.  

The Bible doesn't say "if" things get rough. James says "when." We can expect hard times because of who we are -- or more specifically because of who God is. But that's okay. We have Him on our side. He is the source of our strength and our courage. He gives us His power to be victorious.

Lord, thank you for loving us so much that you will stand in the gap for us. You will fight our battles for us if we will let you. Help us yield to you. Help us to do your will and to rejoice when you reign victorious over all.

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