Category: Strength

Posted on

King of All

As I read through the verses in Ephesians 1 again this morning, I had this memory. It was from a scene in the movie, “Titanic”. Maybe you remember it too. Leonardo DeCaprio stood on the bow and yelled out “I am king of the world”.

That’s how I feel when I read verses throughout the New Testament like our final verses today.

“I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. 18 I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him. 19 I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven. 21 This place was given to Christ. It is much greater than any king or leader can have. No one else can have this place of honor and power. No one in this world or in the world to come can have such honor and power. 22 God has put all things under Christ’s power and has made Him to be the head leader over all things of the church. 23 The church is the body of Christ. It is filled by Him Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.” Ephesians 1:17-23 NLV

The power of God that we were discussing yesterday is the authority that Christ has in heaven – authority over ALL things. Nothing or no one has preeminence over Christ. He is ruler of this world and the world to come.

Now here’s what Paul wants us to understand. This authority and power that Christ has makes Him the head of the church, not a religious organization, but the church, those who believe in Christ. We become a collective body with Christ as our head.

As His body, He fills us with Himself – with His power and authority!

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

We have everything we need because we are complete in Christ!

“May kindness and peace be yours from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Jesus was the first to conquer death, and he is the ruler of all earthly kings. Christ loves us, and by his blood he set us free from our sins.6 He lets us rule as kings and serve God his Father as priests. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 CEV

The power and authority we have as believers in Christ is not of our own making. It is given to us by God Almighty. Jesus is our example of kingly authority. He never did anything for selfish gain; He never retaliated in anger; He never showed prejudice or favoritism.

He is a just and loving King. “I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him”. I pray that you will know this too; that we all will know by experience the great authority and power that God has for us.

He is King of All!

Posted on

Stay Fit

When I was a young mother I chased around after the kids and had energy and strength. Dave and I farmed 900 acres of alfalfa with the assistance of an irrigator and a lady who drove the equipment that picked the bales up out of the fields.

But mostly, it was just the two of us doing all the cutting, baling and equipment repair. The owner we worked for had developed the land out in the desert, close to the Gila River, south of Phoenix.

We often joked and said it was our desert wilderness but it was the place we learned about the promises and the power of God. I will digress briefly. Here we started listening to teachings on cassette tapes about “who we are in Christ”. We began studying, not just reading, but studying God’s word and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit we began applying the Scriptures to our lives.

We worked long, hard hours and we were definitely in shape physically but more importantly we were developing spiritual muscle.

“ …But teach yourself to be devoted to God. 8 Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too. ” I Timothy 4:7b-8 ERV

Yesterday, we were preparing for our annual garage sale and a young woman stopped by with her family. She was strong, energetic and friendly. She had no problem helping her husband load their truck with the items they had purchased.

She reminded me of the me from those days of farming. Watching her also reminded me that I need to work on regaining some physical strength. I certainly want to continue to live a long and healthy life.

As I was thinking about yesterday’s meeting I remembered Caleb from the Old Testament. He was a younger man when the Israelites left Egypt and started their 40 year trek in the desert. He was one of the twelve spies that came back and told Moses the land “was flowing with milk and honey” and “there are giants in the land but we can take the giants”. The people were stopped by fear and would not go forward as God commanded. Joshua and Caleb, however, remained faithful to the Lord and so, years later, they went in to conquer the land and enjoy its richness.

“Joshua gave Caleb some land among the people of Judah, as God had told him to do. Caleb’s share was Hebron, which at that time was known as Arba’s Town, because Arba was the famous ancestor of the Anakim. 14 Caleb attacked Hebron and forced the three Anakim clans of[ Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to leave.” Joshua 15:13-14 CEV

As an older man, probably my age or older, Caleb fought the inhabitants of the land, who were giants, and won! He was able-bodied and able to accomplish all that God had for him to do. I want to be like Caleb.

Am I Older? Yes. Wiser? Definitely. Growing in faith? Certainly. Physically stronger? Working on that!

“Lord, show me how to continue to grow physically and spiritually stronger so I am able to accomplish all you have planned for me. I want to be a giant slayer!”.

Whatever our lot in life we all have something God wants us to do. Remember we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us the strength!

Posted on

Time To Soar

Look to the center of my picture, do you see the hawk sailing in the sky?

For a little over a week now, Dave and I have been watching the hawks soaring above the mountain terrain. This happens most often in the mid-to-late afternoon. At times, there may be as many as twenty or more soaring effortlessly in their lazy circles.

We have talked with the folks we know asking if anyone knows why this happens, but no one does. And it’s not just unique to our mountain campground, when we went into town the other day we noticed the same thing happening over the pasturelands. They have peaked my curiosity.

Some of them have even come so low as to skim the tree tops right beside our RV. Their soaring is silent and they seem to exert no energy at all. Completely different from the crows and ravens who make a loud and disturbing “whoop, whoop, whoop” as the flap their wings with much deliberate movement as they seek to attain altitude.

I even tried to do a search on why hawks soar together in circles. It was not an exhaustive search but I found that when one hawk finds a warm air thermal and lets it lift him up, others will notice and come join him in his flight.

Who teaches the hawks and the eagles that they can soar in the heights? I wonder, are these “training flights” for their upcoming migration to the warmer climates? Are these conditioning flights, similar to what marathon runners do when they are in training for an upcoming race? Are they increasing their endurance?

The Bible makes many comparisons about the Lord sheltering us under the shadow of His wings, protecting us, keeping us from harm. It also says He cares for the birds and we are much more valuable to Him than they are so we can be confident that He will provide for us.

“The Lord chose his people to be his own. The people of Jacob belong to him. 10 “The Lord found them in the desert,  in an empty, windy land. He surrounded them and watched over them. He protected them like the pupil of his eye,11 like an eagle when she makes her young leave the nest to fly. She stays close to them, ready to help. She spreads her wings to catch them when they fall and carries them to a safe place. 12 The Lord alone led his people. They had no help from any foreign god.” Deuteronomy 32:9-12 ERV

The Lord chose the nation of Israel as His own but He has also chosen us. His protection for us will be the same as what they experienced. The Lord is there to catch us when we start to fall and carry us to safety.

It’s the Lord who provides the thermals that cause the hawks to soar. His word gives us what we need to soar, with renewed strength.

“Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard. The Lord is the God who lives forever!
 He created all the faraway places on earth. He does not get tired and weary. You cannot learn all he knows. 29 He helps tired people be strong.  He gives power to those without it.
30 Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:28-31 ERV

Are you weary? Go to the Lord – He will renew your strength and teach you how to soar!

Posted on

Obedience & Boldness

This morning I will be sharing teachings with the ladies of Desert Christian Fellowship in Phoenix. Through the year I have been studying different women in the Bible who were world-changers because of their boldness.

The Lord has taught me that there is a link between boldness and obedience. The women whose stories I will be telling were not particularly gifted or talented but they were obedient to what God asked of them. Once they knew God had called them to a specific task and they were obedient in accepting that calling, they stepped out boldly.

Obedience and Boldness go hand-in-hand.

“Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.” I Samuel 15:22 CEV

The Lord is more concerned about our heart’s attitude than our religious actions.

Once you do a word search on “obey” it doesn’t take long to find the names of Bible greats who obeyed God; there was Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, David, Samuel, Gideon, Daniel and let’s not leave out ladies like Esther, Ruth, Miriam, Mary, Sarah, Rahab…These were ordinary people who boldly stepped forward in obedience when the Lord called on them.

“Today I am explaining his laws and teachings. And if you always obey them, you and your descendants will live long and be successful in the land the Lord is giving you.” Deuteronomy 4:40 CEV

Just like little children, we are to obey our heavenly Father and that obedience empowers us for the tasks we face. When we are obedient we can have boldness that He is leading us and providing for us each step of the way.

“Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. 9 I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 CEV

Obedience and Boldness walk hand-in-hand. We obey and God gives us the strength and the boldness. We are never alone when we walk obedient to His calling!

“God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” Philippians 2:13 CEV

Posted on

Clean Air

For the last few days Dave has been talking to me about filters for our truck; fuel filters, oil filters, air filters.  I’ve learned a lot and have also spent time on the internet looking for the best prices on the best filters.

So, what do filters have to do with you and me?

Dave explained to me that these newer vehicles give you a reading that tells you how much “life” is left in your current filters and when that is exhausted the systems of our truck will work less efficiently and when some of them are used up the truck could stop running. Yikes!

But that really isn’t so uncommon. Several months ago while I was vacuuming, my vacuum just quit. I went to the shed and got my old vacuum and finished the job. I asked Dave to look at the one that quit on me.  He asked me to show him the filters. Oh, my goodness, they were completely clogged. Without the proper air flow, clean air, my vacuum was overheating and shut down.

Aren’t we the same way?

With all the fires we’ve had, the air quality was pretty poor, and it made it hard to breathe. There are advisories that tell us not to do anything outside that is strenuous because of it. During pollen season, many of us have to deal with runny noses and shortness of breath.

Spiritually, we operate the same way.  Adam was just a clump of dust until God breathed the breath of life into him.

“ The Lord God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.” Genesis 2:7 CEV

Jesus spent forty days with his disciples after his resurrection before He ascended to heaven, and He did something very similar to what the Father did in the garden. He breathed on his disciples, a breath of life, imparting to them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22 CEV

The winds of life get dirty. They blow pollutants into the air we breathe – anger, jealousy, discontentment, wrong thinking. We need to keep our filters clean so we can operate at full capacity – no overheating or restricted operation.

“ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:8-10 NIV

When we’re having trouble breathing clean air it may be time to have the Holy Spirit clean our filters so that we can operate at the maximum capacity that God created for us.

Posted on

Go to the Rock!

When we get bad news, where is the first place we go? Do we seek out a second opinion, head to the bar, talk to a close friend? Where do we turn?

The first place my heart turns is to my Rock! There is only one place I know to find wisdom, strength, hope and help.

“God, hear my cry for help.
    Listen to my prayer.
2 From a faraway land I call to you for help.
    I feel so weak and helpless!
Carry me to a high rock
    where no one can reach me.
3 You are my place of safety,
    a strong tower that protects me from my enemies.
4 I want to live in your tent forever.
    I want to hide where you can protect me. Selah” Psalm 61:1-4 ERV

Since April, Dave and I have seen some landscapes with massive rocks. This morning I could see all those places with my mind’s eye: City of Rocks, Gila Cliff Dwellings and the Catwalk. Each place I was looking up at the grandeur and the almost impenetrable fortress that these rocks provided.

These rocks became an object lesson for my faith. “When I feel weak and helpless, carry me to the Rock”.

When we are overwhelmed, the Apostle Paul tells us we are to guard our hearts.

“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 AMP

Jesus told us that his word is the rock that we should build our lives on and when the storms of life blow in, trying to destroy our house, that if we are built on the rock we will withstand the storm.

“He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place, my place of safety, high in the hills. He is my savior, the one who rescues me from the cruel enemy.” II Samuel 22:3 ERV

Bad news, devastating storms, heart ache – what are you facing?

“They will not be afraid of bad news. They are confident because they trust in the Lord.
8 They remain confident and without fear, so they defeat their enemies.” Psalm 11:7-8 ERV

Go to the Rock!

Posted on

Rest for the Weary

This morning is one of those rare mornings when I would like to go back to bed. I didn’t sleep well, tossed and turned, and this morning as I sit here in my chair I am weary.

Not a good way to start the day.

I’m on my second cup of coffee and with each sip I close my eyes and inhale deeply. Each breath is a prayer for strength and direction. And then I wait, completely at peace, knowing I am in the Father’s presence and He will give me what I need for the day.

“Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Lord is the eternal God, Creator of the earth. He never gets weary or tired; his wisdom cannot be measured. 29 The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. 30 Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.” Isaiah 40:28-31 CEV

I don’t know what this day will have in store but He does and I can be confident in His strength. He will give me exactly what I need for the day ahead. The key point in these verses for me is this, “those who trust the Lord will find new strength”.

The thing I have learned in my sixty-eight years is the Lord is trust worthy. If He promises to give me strength, He will.

I just finished reading the story of Paul’s ship wreck on his way to Rome, again. They were in a terrible storm on the open sea for fourteen days. The Bible says they couldn’t see the sun – now, that’s a horrific storm. The crew and passengers were scared, they feared all was lost but the Lord gave Paul a message concerning their survival.

It could be that you feel you have been going through a fourteen day or a fourteen year storm. God has not and will not abandon you. He has a good plan for your life. Follow the advice that Paul gave.

“23 I belong to God, and I worship him. Last night he sent an angel 24 to tell me, “Paul, don’t be afraid! You will stand trial before the Emperor. And because of you, God will save the lives of everyone on the ship.” 25 Cheer up! I am sure that God will do exactly what he promised…33 Just before daylight Paul begged the people to eat something. He told them, “For fourteen days you have been so worried that you haven’t eaten a thing. 34 I beg you to eat something. Your lives depend on it. Do this and not one of you will be hurt.”

35 After Paul had said this, he took a piece of bread and gave thanks to God. Then in front of everyone, he broke the bread and ate some. 36 They all felt encouraged, and each of them ate something. 37 There were 276 people on the ship” Acts 27:23-27 CEV

Cheer up – have something to eat! God’s in control!

Renewed strength comes from trusting – trust Him to provide strength for our daily walk, then He gives us the energy to run with the day’s details and He also provides us with the strength, Isaiah says, to soar high above earth’s obstacles like an eagle.

“Lord, I came to you weary and I thank you that through Your word I have been strengthened and am at a place of rest. Today I will walk, run, and soar with You.”

Posted on

A Sudden Change

One thing we deal with in the mountains is the sudden change in temperature.

Yesterday Dave and I took a drive into Springerville, about 25 miles away from the campground. It’s a lower elevation so we expected the temperatures to be warmer on this beautiful summer’s day.

We spent a couple hours shopping, running errands and having lunch. As we left town to head back to the campground Dave glanced at the temperature on the dash and it said 97*. Within 10 minutes it had dropped to 74* and in another 5 minutes, when we were in a rain downpour, it read 58*. This was 40* of cooling in less than twenty minutes.

A sudden change for sure.

By the time we arrived back at the campground the rain had stopped and the temperature settled at 75*. Still a significant change. Things cool off quickly in the mountains.

But what about the temperature in our lives. How suddenly do they change?

Certain people have a way of changing my temperature. I can cool off quickly with some and with others I may reach a boiling point. Situations and circumstances have a way of bringing about a definite change.

Take a look at the Apostle Peter.

He is having dinner with Jesus and the other disciples and swears, yes swears, that he will always be loyal to Jesus. Everyone else may desert Jesus but he never will. Just hours later, in the garden, Peter tries to defend Jesus from the soldiers and wields a sword cutting off one of their ears.

Now fast forward another couple of hours. Peter is standing in a courtyard, warming himself by a fire when he is confronted by a servant girl. She accuses him of knowing Jesus. Peter has now cooled in his dedication and makes his first denial of knowing Christ. There will be two more times in this setting that Peter speaks forth denials.

At first he is red hot in his enthusiasm for the Lord and then there’s a sudden change brought on by circumstances and his commitment becomes cold.

Oh! How many times have I been like Peter? Around my christian friends my testimony was strong. My faith seemed monumental. Then in a different surrounding, among those I don’t know as well, my testimony cooled. That has happened more times then I would like to admit.

But here’s the good news. After Jesus rose from the grave he confronted Peter and forgave Him. He gave Peter a new mission. Jesus gave Peter the charge to feed the sheep, better known as Jesus’ followers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Peter accepted that role and he never backed down again.

No more sudden changes.

“But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” Acts 1:8 CEV

The Lord has given us the same power. My daily ambition is no more drops in my spiritual temperature. I desire to be fired up in my testimony. Burning brightly in what I say and do. How about you?

No more sudden changes!

Posted on

I Am Strong

Some mornings when I get up my body doesn’t want to work the way I want it to. Today is one of those days.

I am ever mindful of my loved ones who live with chronic pain and they are always in my prayers. As I get older I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul said about our bodies:

“We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day.” II Corinthians 4:16 CEV

That verse was part of my reading this morning. It is the one that will stay with me all day. Maybe you are one who feels like giving up today – don’t!

Give the weakness that you are experiencing over to the Lord. Have a sit down with the Father. Tell Him what you are experiencing and let Him show you that He is greater than your weakness.

“I asked the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 NLV

Both of the Scriptures above are part of the same letter which Paul wrote to the christians in the church of Corinith. It is obvious that the Lord had a message for them and for us.

Our bodies will experience hardship and weariness. In all of it we aren’t to give up. When we feel weak we can and should draw on the strength that Christ gives us. When the Father says “I’m all you need” then we can be confident that He is and will be more than enough!

Do you feel weak? It may be physical, emotional or spiritual. Say with the Apostle Paul I am strong.

I know that those are the words I voiced this morning and I will be saying them throughout day – Father you are all I need and in You I find strength for my weakness.

I am strong in Christ!

Posted on

Bloom Where You’re Planted

Some years back a clever person coined the phrase “Bloom where you’re planted”.

I appreciate the thoughts behind that saying. Many are discontent because of their circumstances; they feel they live in the wrong city or country, they don’t feel they work at the right place or attended the right schools. Life would be better “if only”.

But in all that reflecting, they are discontent and fail to produce beauty where they are.

I took the picture I’m using for this blog while we were hiking among the boulders in New Mexico. I almost walked by without noticing the little plant growing at my feet. There was new life sprouting from a mostly dead tree root. The root was under a rock. New forms of life were actually springing up between a rock and a hard place.

Maybe that’s where you find yourself – between a rock and a hard place. Things aren’t the way they should be and they definitely aren’t the way you would like them to be but remember this – you have life and Christ has promised to make that life abundant.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

When we rely on Christ and not our own knowledge and understanding we draw our strength and purpose for life from Him. Circumstances and conditions are subject to change. The one thing that remains eternal is the Father and His love for us. The Psalms say that everything that has breath should praise the Lord. This morning as I write I have breath, as you read this you have breath, so join me in praising the Lord.

“The dry desert will rejoice. The desert will be glad and blossom. 2 It will be covered with flowers and dance with joy. It will be as beautiful as the forest of Lebanon, the hill of Carmel, and the Sharon Valley. This will happen because all people will see the Glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God.

3 Make the weak arms strong again. Strengthen the weak knees. 4 People are afraid and confused. Say to them, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. He will save you.” Isaiah 35:1-4 ERV

I say the same thing to you that Isaiah said to the nation of Israel “Be Strong, Don’t be Afraid”. The Lord didn’t abandon them and He will not abandon us. Things are changing so rapidly in the world around us. Without the Lord there would be plenty of reason to feel weak and afraid but we aren’t without Him!

“God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. 2 Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. 3 They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do.” Psalm 1:1-3 CEV

Find your strength in Jesus. Draw life from Him. Bloom where you are planted!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress