Receive God's Strength

Hello Dear Loved Ones in Christ,

  I am praying that you are filled with God’s peace today and everyday. The bad thing about peace is it can be fleeting. The only way to keep our peace each day is to understand that we are not strong, but weak. We are not in control, but God is. So if we want God’s peace in our lives, we must depend on God’s strength and not ours to take care of the huge obstacles and even the little ones that are in each of our lives. Then our lives will be free to serve and worship God.

  The nation of Israel has now been captured and exiled to Assyria. Twenty-six years later, the chief officer of the Assyrian army came to Judah to declare war. He declared that their god was not able to deliver them from the great nation of Assyria because Israel’s god hadn’t delivered them. When King Hezekiah heard about the threats, he didn’t go out and fight the Assyrian army; he went directly into the Temple of the Lord to seek His guidance and direction in this terrible situation. He sent his officials for the prophet Isaiah. “Isaiah said to them, Tell your master, this is what the Lord says; Do not be afraid of what you have heard – those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.” II Kings 19:6-7

  The Lord did all that He promised and Judah was spared - for a time. When we understand how weak we are, we can then seek God to provide His strength in the situation. He provides for His children in all that we need. We are unable to receive this strength from God. If we think we are strong enough to fight off our enemies and make the right decisions for our future then God will not provide us with His strength.

   Are you willing to first go to God and seek His deliverance for each of your difficult situations like King Hezekiah? Are you willing to be obedient to what He wants you to do in order to accomplish His purposes for your life? Loving and trusting God gives each of us the ability to work with Him to help correct the difficulties in our lives and in the lives of others. This is done in God’s strength, not our own. Won’t you trust God today? When we are weak, this is when He is able to become strong in us IF we ask Him. That is when much is accomplished for the Kingdom of God.

  My desire is to accomplish much in His strength, not my own. This is what God is teaching me right now; to seek His will in the things I write, and the things I say. When I have done these things in my own strength, I have ended up frustrated and left feeling all alone. But when I have relied on God each day for guidance and wisdom, I have watched Him move in the lives of people in remarkable ways. Jesus is so amazing when He works in my life. His is beautiful and wise and understands intricacies of life that are so far beyond my understanding. I love trusting Him everyday.

“But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10

“…Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Hebrews 11:32-34

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

  We will continue reading II Kings 15 – 25 for one more week.

Blessings,

Tricia