RSS

Category Archives: God is My Strength

My God is Strong Psalm 105:4

Psalm 105:4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!

I’m feeling pretty weak

I want to be just like everyone else. I want to have the energy other people have. But I get worn down, and then I get cranky, or worse yet, mean. This weekend, my family and I went to family camp at Camp Lutherwood in Cheshire Oregon. We did this last year as well, and it’s likely to become a tradition. I’m not much of a camper, but they cook for you and you don’t have to sleep on the ground, so it’s not so bad.

Worn out

We go pretty much nonstop at camp, moving from one activity to another. It’s a lot of fun playing games, having adult education time and worship around the camp fire. On Saturday my husband and I went on a hike up a steep hill and then later I did archery. I don’t know if I had over done it on Saturday or what, but Sunday was rough. During brunch, I went to pour my water, and my mind didn’t seem to work correctly. Instead of getting water only in my glass, I also poured it all over the table. I don’t know what went wrong, It’s like my brain shut off. Age or MS? I don’t know which, but either way, I’m not excited about it.

I was so tired. When we got home, I fell into bed and had to wake up a half hour later for a picnic with some of my husband’s cohorts. I wasn’t in a good mood. The people and the food revived me a bit. Yesterday I didn’t do too much that was taxing, but this morning I went on a 6 mile walk, and I’m exhausted again. I was exhausted when we started the walk, and I’m still exhausted after my walk.

Seek the Lord and His strength

My body doesn’t always cooperate with me. I want to be healthy and not have to think about being so tired, but sometimes the exhaustion will not be ignored. Today as I was doing my internet marketing work, I wondered how I would be able to keep my eyes open. I realized, today I wasn’t going to be able to without the help of the Lord. I needed the Lord’s strength, because I don’t have any left of my own. I need to trust that God can get me through whatever is coming my way and cling to His promises as I face each day.

Praise the Lord that I work from home. I have finished my work for the day and as soon as I’m finished here, I can take a nap. Thank you Lord for the rejuvenation that comes with sleep. When I am weak, Dear Lord, may your strength fill in the gaps.

4 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on August 14, 2012 in God is My Strength, Psalm

Tags: exhuasted, internet marketing, Lord, my god is, promises, seek the lord, strong

My God is …the God of Power and Might II Chronicles 20:6

19 Jan

2 Chronicles 20:6

LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

The God of our ancestors

This is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. The blessing of having ancestors who have gone before me in this Christian walk. My Grandparents, on both sides, were strong Christian people. They raised my parents keeping Christ at the center of all they did. My parents raised us similarly, and I pray that my children, future grandchildren and great-grandchildren will also follow Christ.

Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

So this verse is sort of plucked out of a chapter that is about the fight between Jehoshaphat and the Moabites and the Ammonites. In this verse they’re crying out to God for his power and might, hoping that God will help them to defeat these nations. Later in the chapter, God tells them not to worry it’s His battle not theirs. Then he goes on to tell them how he’s going to help them defeat these people.

Flattery, wishful thinking or the truth

When my boys are talking to me and asking me for something, sometimes they butter me up. Saying things like I love the way you cook or you’re the best mom ever. Some of the things that they’re saying in this verse sound almost like they’re trying to butter God up. Or maybe it’s wishful thinking, maybe they’re desperate and calling out not sure if God will answer. Hoping, with a bit of doubt. But I think it’s more that they knew, had heard and seen the power and might of God before, so they knew the truth. They knew He was the God of Power and Might, and that there wasn’t anything He couldn’t do.

Do you trust the God of Power and Might?

The entire town came to the temple to call out to God. They all came together asking for help from the Lord. Their prayer was clearly answered when their enemies were defeated. If God can defeat armies, doesn’t it make sense then that his Power and Might would be enough to help you conqueror the much smaller battles we face each day. Sometimes I act like being married, raising kids and getting along with others is such a hard thing to do that I’m not sure God could help me do it. I’m pretty sure it’s easier than beating an army. But it doesn’t matter easy or hard. God can do all things. He can be our strength, power and might.

Are you mighty powerful?

God is My Mighty Rock Psalm 62:6-8

16 Dec

Psalm 62:6-8

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

My God is My Mighty Rock

When someone goes through rough times, you might hear them say something like this, “Carol was my rock during that time.” It is really hard to go through the tough times in life by yourself. It’s almost as hard when the people you think you should be able to count on don’t come through for you.

Mighty means Powerful or Extraordinary

When we say someone is our rock. It means we can count on them. They added stability to an otherwise crazy time. They gave us a foothold, a safety net, a foundation. But people are people. They don’t always know what we need, and even if they do, they can’t always give it to us. But there is one who can.

God isn’t just my rock. He’s my mighty rock.

He is the only thing that’s worth building my life on. My powerful, extraordinary God is solid. I can count on Him in all kinds of trouble. If I build my life on Him, I have built my life on something solid, something secure, something strong. God doesn’t sway in the wind, wash away in a flood or disappear when things get hard. He supports, encourages and sometimes maintains us so that we can survive and learn to know Him more.

Solid, Unmovable, Reliable

What are the things you count on most? What do you trust to always be there? Has anything ever let you down? I’ve told the story about when I found out I had MS. I told about how my husband wasn’t there when I found out because he was away at a school for the Air Force. This led to an amazing moment with the Lord, one I never want to forget and would never trade in. But I wasn’t happy about my husband not being there.

I had put my trust in my husband.

My husband had earned it. He had supported me through some really tough times, he was my rock. He was who I went to when I was feeling insecure. He was who I trusted with my raw emotions. He was the one who could help me keep going when I wanted to give up. But he wasn’t there. He wasn’t there when I needed him the most. My life had changed. I was facing a debilitating disease, and had strange confusing things happening to the way my brain worked. I was worried I couldn’t care for my boys on my own. I felt abandoned. The truth is, no human can be there for you all the time. They can’t be all that you need them to be.

But there is one who is greater than all of the humans in the world.

One who can be there for you when no one else can. My God, the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ who saved me from my sins not only wanted to preserve me from death and an eternity in hell, but also wants to have a relationship with me. He wants me to be drawn closer to Him, that I might know what it feels like to be able to rely on Him, trust Him and be blessed by Him. He is my mighty rock. I trust Him. I trust Him with my life. I trust Him with my death. I trust Him with everything in between.

Who do you count on?

God is…My Strength Isaiah 40:28-31

09 Sep

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Do you get tired or weary?

I have a condition (ok it’s a disease) called Multiple Sclerosis. I have been very fortunate that I have not had many long-term effects. At least not visibly. My MS can cause me to be fatigued. This is its own kind of fatigued. It was worst before I began taking medication, but on hot days or sometimes for no reason, my mind and my body are both fatigued. It can be hard for me to get work done. To be productive and contribute to my family.

My strength is renewed

In MS (at least relapsing remitting MS), your symptoms can subside for a while. They can go away with little or no trace. I have gone ten years without a major relapse. Even with my fatigue, my strength can often be renewed by a nap.

I am spiritually renewed by God. God sees my weaknesses. Sees my mental and spiritual fatigue, and he gives me renewal. He allows me to refocus my attention on Him. Much like the nap helps me feel refreshed and able to go on another day, His word and sacraments keep me renewed in my faith. He knows the renewal that awaits us by being closer to Him. The refreshing of the Spirit that comes only from the Lord. It is our hope in the Lord, our trust that His promises are true that help us to continue on even when hard things happen to us.

Dancing with God

Shortly after I was diagnosed with MS, my husband was out-of-town at a training school for the Air Force. I was fatigued. My brain wasn’t working the way it should. I was putting away the food from the lunch I had made my boys, but something was wrong. Putting away the food was harder than it should be. I had to think about what I was doing. I went to put the lid on the milk bottle. It wasn’t working. After what seemed like an eternity, I figured out what was wrong. I was trying to put the peanut butter lid on my milk bottle.

I couldn’t believe that this kind of mental struggle was what my future held. I was so upset. I began crying and praying out loud to God. Perhaps even swearing during my prayer. I was exasperated. I was at the lowest point I think I’ve ever been. But then it was as if the Lord took my chin and lifted it up. Putting my focus back on Him and his hope for me. I looked up and felt God telling me (I didn’t hear Him – I felt Him say it), “This body is only temporary. You’ll have a good body here in heaven, this won’t be forever.” My spirit was renewed. I had hope. The next thing I remember was that I felt I was dancing with God in my Kitchen. Joyously singing “I’m going to heaven, I’m going to heaven, I’m going to heaven.” He is my strength when I am weak.

How has the Lord renewed your strength? Do you have hope in His promises?

2 Comments

Posted by Jill Richard on September 9, 2011 in God is My Strength, Isaiah

Tags: fatigue, God is my Strength, Isaiah 40:28-31, mental struggle, renewed, strength, strength when I am weak

God is…