Friday Faith Check-up: Where Our True Strength Lies

"The woman who trusts God as her strength desires to be both theologically sound and practically adept." - Patricia Ennis

We hear the words "strong," or "strength" being used a lot in conversation and the media. We love to toss around phrases incorporating these words, such as: "Stay strong," "Be strong," or "Only the strong survive," among many others.

Hearing the words "strong" or "strength" can motivate or comfort us depending on the situation. They can make us feel powerful when we are weak, or hopeful when we are troubled, or anxious. There's no doubt that they are powerful and uplifting words.

It's no surprise that strength and its many off-shoots are mentioned almost 400 times in the Bible. Weaved throughout scripture they are used to describe strengths that are both, natural and supernatural. They help call our attention to power, might, and strength.

When it comes to strength, there is none greater than the mighty power of God. The thing we must always be mindful of is that our strength, especially Christians, is not our own. Sadly, too many believe otherwise, which can and does create problems.

Much like a minefield, the "world" is full of traps and pitfalls . There's no way that we, on our own accord, could ever successful make our way through. We need the strength that is only found in Christ to guide and support us every step of the way (Philippians 4:13).

Another common misconception is the that we can "save"ourselves by our own strength. Indeed, there are some things that we can do ourselves, but our salvation is not one of them. The Bible makes this point quite clear. We are not saved by our works, strong will, or how many good things we do. Only God has the strength and power to do this (Ephesians 2:8-9).

In comparison to God's insurmountable strength we are as weak as water, and as helpless as a newborn child. That is why he has taken this incredible burden upon Himself. God has promised that He will make manifest His superior power and might. And He does make good on this promise!

We may like to think of ourselves as strong, independent individuals with a strong relationship with God. But, we will never truly experience God's strength and power until we concede just how helpless and dependent we are on Him. Only then will we come to know that He, beyond any doubt, is our Savior; our true strength (Philippians 4:13).

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 31:24; Joshua 1:9;Psalm 118:6; Nahum 1:7 

Prayer: Dear God, You are my strength and my salvation, and in You I will trust to help pacify and conquer my fears because I know that You will never fail me. Amen

Have a blessed and safe weekend!

Kaye