How Do We Draw Strength From God?

His Word: Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.  I Chronicles 16:11 NLT

Observation & Obedience:  Our focus this month has been on strength. We’ve seen that our strength comes from God’s joy in and through us. When we are weary and don’t know what to pray, God’s Spirit intercedes.

We’ve recognized that the times when we have nothing left to lean on is when God’s power steps into our lives. He becomes the strength in our greatest weakness and he can always be relied on to fulfill His promises.

Are you in need of God’s strength today? Be honest. Have you tried fixing and controlling things in your own power and it’s not getting any better; in fact, you feel weaker and more defeated than ever before?

There is hope! We can learn a lot about how to plug into our power source through another psalm written by David during his reign as king of Israel. He gives us insight into five steps needed to draw our strength from God.

1) Be Thankful. Nothing weakens our spirit more than dwelling on our problems and misfortunes. Strength comes from being grateful. Give thanks to the LORD (v.8a NLT).

2) Sing Praises. I have found music to be a great strength builder. It takes my mind and focus off of me and onto God and his blessings in my life.  Sing to him; yes, sing his praises (v.9a NLT).

3) Tell others. Aren’t you revitalized when you hear others sharing how God has worked in their lives? Proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done (v.8b NLT) and tell everyone about his wonderful deeds (v.9b NLT).

4) Worship. God is worthy of our thanks, praise and testimony. By rejoicing and glorifying in his name, we can’t help but be filled with his power.  Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the LORD(v.10 NLT).

5) Seek him. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always (v.11). God has promised to never turn his back on those who diligently seek him. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you (Psalm 9:10 NLT).

So what are you waiting for? Take the action needed today to renew your strength and recharge your power. God is waiting; his strength never runs out and he never tires of us coming to him for help.

Prayer: “Dear God, some days I’m depending on my own limited strength to get me through this life. Why I think I’m more powerful than you, I’ll never understand! Keep my mind focused on your goodness. Keep my eyes open to see all you’ve done for me. Help me to share your wonderful deeds with others who need your strength. May I never stop giving you the worship you deserve and seeking you every day. Amen.”

Encouragement: No one enjoys feeling weak, whether it is emotionally, spiritually or physically. There is something within the human spirit that wants to resist the thought of weakness. Many times this is nothing more than our human pride at work. Just as weakness carries a great potential for strength, pride carries an equally great potential for defeat.     Pastor Charles Stanley