Tag Archives: Strength

What to do When Tempted

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There are some things that we are all going to face. There are certain things that every human that has ever lived throughout history has had to face or deal with.

Hunger. Exhaustion. Sadness. Joy. Pain. Wonder. Love. Anger. These are all human emotions, human experiences. Everyone reading this, no matter where you has felt, or will feel these things.

There is another thing that is common to humans. Temptation. Everyone of us in the world will face temptation. Each of us will. It is what it is. It is part of the human experience. We see today, in Matthew 3: 3-4, that even Jesus faced temptation.  Listen to what happened:

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

We see the devil come to Him and tempt Him. This is one of the three temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness.

So, if the devil tempted Jesus, who was, you know, the very son of God, do you thing we will face temptation? Of course we will. You will be tempted. It will happen.

So, what do we do? What do we do when we are tempted? Look what Jesus did. He quoted the Bible back to the devil. He had a firm foundation of scripture that He recite in the time of temptation.

What do we need to do when tempted? First, a verse of two either written down, or even better, committed to memory that you can call up in times of temptation.

For example – James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefor to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Know that through the power of the Holy Spirit in your, when we stand upon faith, temptation will flee.

Hebrews 12:4 – In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your own blood.

These are just a few, and here is a list of some good verses that may be a help in times of temptation.

And second, pray. When you face temptation, pray. As God to help you. Strengthen you. Uphold you. Be with you. And He will. Turn to Him when you face temptation. And He will be there.

Today, temptation will come. What will you do about it?

Running Uphill

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Sometimes in life, we feel like we are running uphill.

It seems like the battle we face may be too great; it seems like the challenges that we are up against seem like they may be too much to overcome.

And when we are facing such a tough battle, we can think that it might be easier to just give up. What’s the point of trying.

You may be there right now.  You may dealing with something right now that makes you think, there’s no way that we can do it.

It’s too hard.

It’s too tough.

We just can’t do it.

Listen to the words of Hebrews 12: 1-2 today.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God

Since you we are surrounded by all of these that have gone before us, don’t give up. Don’t quit.  Don’t lose hope.

You can do it.  Keep going!  Keep running.  Keep trying!  You can do it.

And remember the example set for us by Jesus. Who, even though He faced the shame and death of the cross, He kept going.

Today, even if you running uphill, keep running.  You can do it. Today, remember the example set by those that have run it race before us.

And remember the example set by Jesus. Today, keep running.

You are not Powerless

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Sometimes we focus in our devotional life about the reality of our sin.

We understand how sinful we are; our broken nature, and these things make us all the more thankful for God, for His salvation, and for His grace.

And those are all very good things. Those are all things that we need to know. We need to know that we are loved, no matter what we’ve done. We need to know that we need to never get too proud; it’s the pride that comes before the fall. We need to understand that only through grace can we stand.

It’s good for us to know these things.

But, it’s also good for us to read James.  Because James tells us to bow up. Do right.  Act right. Stop doing things that are wrong. Start doing things that are right.

Yes, we are sinful.  Yes, we have done things wrong. Yes, we will make mistakes.

But, you know what?  You aren’t powerless.

Listen to what James writes today in James 4:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.

Humble yourself before God.  Know that your strength comes from God, not from you. Without Him, you are powerless. Without Him, there’s nothing you can do. Without Him, we have no hope.

But, with Him, resist the devil, and he will flee.  With Him, we have the greatest power. With Him, we are not powerless and helpless. With Him, we are more than conquers.

Today, you are not powerless.  Today, you are not at the whims of the devil. Today, you have a choice to make.

Will you follow along with the plans of the devil? Or will you resist?

Today, you are not powerless. Today, through God, you have strength and power. Today, through God, resist the devil and he will flee.

Today, you are not powerless.  Today, you have a choice to make. What choice will you make?

Giving Up

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Sometimes giving up seems like the best option.

Sometimes giving up seems like it is the only thing that we can do. Sometimes the road seems too long. Sometimes the trials seem too deep. Sometimes it seems like it is just not worth the work that lays ahead to finish the race.

Sometimes it seems too hard.

Sometimes the road seems to long.

Sometimes we just dont’ think we can do it.

So, why do it? What’s the point? It’s not like we can finish anyway.

On days when we are tempted to think that way, listen to what we read in Hebrews 12 today:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

Remember.  You are surrounded by a mighty cloud of witnesses. There are people who are there for you. People that support you.  People that love you.  People that are on your side.

I know when you are in the midst of a storm, you feel like you are all alone. I know it feels that way. I know it’s tempting to believe.

You are not.  You are not all alone.  You are surrounded by people who love you.  Even if it doesn’t feel that way.  Even if you can’t see it.  You are not alone.

Don’t lose hope.

And, remember one last thing. Remember what Jesus endured.  Remember what He suffered. Remember what He went through.  Remember.

Jesus kept going. He set the example for us. Remember that. Don’t grow weary.

You can do it. Even if you think that it’s impossible. Even if you think it won’t happen, don’t give up. Remember those that surround you that support and cheer for you.

And remember what our Lord endured. Remember His example. And live in His strength.

Keep running today. Don’t give up.

You can do it!

 

Hope for a Monday

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So many of the Psalms have built into them a chorus.  A phrase that repeats itself throughout the Psalm.  I really like this about the Psalms.  It makes us keep coming back to the same point, it makes us keep remembering what is important; what is the thing that we need to remember.

In a Psalm I read today, Psalm 80, this was the refrain that kept coming back, over and over again:

3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

The Psalm walks through the triumphs and defeats of Israel’s history.  It walks through the times when they had been faithful, as well as the times they had fallen on their face.

And, in both cases, this refrain is given – restore us oh God, Show us your light, and we shall be saved.

Today, our salvation doesn’t come from ourselves.  It doesn’t come from us being good enough.  It doesn’t come from us being perfect. It doesn’t come from anything we can do.  It comes from God.  All of it.  It all comes from God.

So, whether we are perfect and obey and do everything we are supposed to do.

Or,whether we mess up, fall down, stub our town and blow it.

It’s not about us.  It’s about God. It’s about what He’s done.

Place your hope today not in yourself and your might and your power.  Place it in God.  For it’s through Him we are saved, it’s through Him, we have hope, it’s through Him, we are restored.

Not of our own strength.  But from the light of countenance.

Rejoice in that today!  It’s gonna be a great day and a great week!  Rejoice in what God has done, rejoice in what God is doing, and rejoice in what God will do!

How to Pass a Test

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One of the things that worries me, that worries many of us, is this, how will I be ready when a test comes?

None of us look forward to tests, want tests, desire to be tested.

We all want peaceful, calm, easy lives.

That’s something we all really, really want.

But, we all also know that a time of testing and trial will come. It’s something we all face.

Today’s readings seem to fit together (to me) in a way that showed me some truth about testing that I needed to be reminded of.

First, the Psalmist in Psalm 105 talks about the faithfulness of God, and recounts all God had done. But, he says in the Psalm

17 He sent a man before them, *
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet in fetters; *
his neck they put in an iron collar.
19 Until his prediction came to pass, *
the word of the LORD tested him.

Testing will come, even for God’s people.

Just because you love God and He loves you, that doesn’t mean that testing won’t come. Don’t regard your tests as a failure. Don’t thing you’ve done anything wrong. Don’t think you’ve failed. Test come to us all.

Then, in Zechariah, the Lord says these words to His prophet:

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

The Lord has just given him a calling to go and proclaim God’s Word. But, before he does, the Lord reminds him – it’s by God’s Spirit that he will accomplish what God has for him.

That really nailed me this morning. So often I try to pass those tests on my own.  I try to beat back tests and trials and temptations on my own.

By my will.

My strength.

My might.

And, I fail.

But the Lord reminds us, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.

The surest way to fail whatever test we face today is by relying upon our ability.  Our strength.  Our will.  We simply can’t do it alone.

How to pass a test?  The Lord.  His Spirit.  His life.  His power.  Through Him.

We will face tests, each day.  May we remember that it through Him and in Him, we can come through theses tests and cross over to new and abundant life.

Strength

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Today as I was reading the New Testament Reading for the day in Colossians, something really jumped out to me.  Here are verses 11-14

11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are encouraged to be strong – but not with our own strength, but with the strength that comes from God. Why? Why are we to be strong in that strength in particular? Aren’t we strong enough as it is?

The text tells us we need to be ready to endure everything with patience.  In other words, trouble is coming. Trouble is coming down the road at some point. It could be today, it could be tomorrow. It could be a year from now, a decade from now. Who knows. But, trouble. is coming.

And, Paul tell us not just to suffer through this trouble, but to endure it with patience, and even joy. Now, I can’t do that. I don’t even like waiting at a red light, much less endure troubles with patience and joy. If I’m going through something I don’t like, I want it to be over as quickly as possible.

That’s what I want.  That may not be what God wants.  God may be wanting to teach me something through a time of trial. He may be wanting to teach me dependance upon Him.  Trust of Him. Faith in Him.  To teach me that this world is not my home.  That my life is not not found in the stuff of the world.  He may be wanting to teach me many, many lessons.

But, without the patience that He longs to give me, I will miss them.  And, without His strength, I do not have that patience. Without His strength, I do not have His wisdom. Without His strength, I will not learn, I will just muddle through, whatever I’m doing.  Even the good stuff.

So, that means for us today, if things are great, then we need to be faithful. We need to be worshiping, reading scripture, and praying. We need to be connected to God and to His people. We need to be living His life. Because, trouble will be coming some day. And for us, this may be the day of preparation for that trouble that is to come.

And, if we are going through troubles, remember. Your strength is not found within you.  It is found in God. Don’t rely upon yourself, your strength, you wisdom. Trust in God.  Lean on Him.  Turn to Him. Rest in Him.

And, then you will find more strength than you ever through possible.

Today, and always, for strength, turn to the source of our strength. Turn to God.