strength Archives - Do Not Depart

The Gift of Strength

December 14, 2021 by Jaime Hilton 1 Comment

Last week I took my family to see Encanto at the movie theatre. Even with a toddler crawling on and off my lap throughout, the story and songs managed to wedge themselves into my brain, sneaking in and taking root around the carols and Christmas to-do lists that typically occupy space this time of year. I was particularly drawn to Luisa, the super-strong older sister whose song, Surface Pressure, could be an anthem for modern women everywhere, especially at Christmas time. Here are just a few of the lyrics that resonated with me.

I don’t ask how hard the work is
Got a rough, indestructible surface
Diamonds and platinum, I find ’em, I flatten ’em
I take what I’m handed, I break what’s demanded, but
Under the surface
I feel berserk as a tightrope walker in a three-ring circus…
Under the surface
I’m pretty sure I’m worthless if I can’t be of service

A flaw or a crack
The straw in the stack
That breaks the camel’s back
What breaks the camel’s back?

It’s pressure like a drip, drip, drip, that’ll never stop, whoa
Pressure that’ll tip, tip, tip ’til you just go pop, whoa-uh-uh
Give it to your sister, your sister’s older
Give her all the heavy things we can’t shoulder
Who am I if I can’t run with the ball?

Although I love the Christmas season, I wrestle every year with feelings of inadequacy. It’s enough of a struggle to keep my family fed, clean, and healthy on a regular basis, without the additional expectations of holiday traditions and to-do lists. I simply cannot do it all.

Thankfully, I don’t have to.

Is 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

What Is the Gift of Strength?

Can you imagine unwrapping a gift of strength from the Lord? In one picture I see a beautiful gift box, simple and unassuming. Nestled inside on a bed of tissue paper is a can the size of a soda, labeled “Strength” in bold letters. I pop the tab and down the beverage (which tastes like peppermint!) in one gulp. My biceps bulge triumphantly as I am filled with the physical prowess to accomplish everything on my to-do list from addressing the last of the Christmas cards to completing the shopping without losing my cool with the crowds or the kids or the time crunch.

In another imagining, I see a tightrope walker, strong and graceful, a single bead of sweat threatening to spill from her forehead as she takes another precarious step towards the center of the rope. She is weary, but being halfway across, she can’t very well turn back. She must keep moving forward. For her, the gift of strength comes as a butterfly. It flutters past her, an image of hope that encourages her to take that next step.

Strength can look like many different things – endurance, power, agility, maturity. Our heart, soul, mind, and body have the capacity to do so much, to think and feel and enact change in the world we are a part of yet in the face of our ambitions we nearly always find ourselves weak.

The Strength of the Lord

The strength of the Lord is not a magical, peppermint-flavored beverage designed to supernaturally speed me through minor tensions with ease. What God gives is a firm foundation, sustaining us through every moment of life. It is not the ability to do everything perfectly on our own, but an invitation to rest in His power, which shines through our weakness like the lights on a Christmas tree. As we open our hands to let go of the striving to do and be more than we are, His strength fills our emptiness with abundantly more than we were lacking to begin with.

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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Another song came to mind as I was working through this post and pondering this gift of strength. “You are my strength when I am weak. You are the treasure that I seek. You are my all in all.” You are My All in All – Bing video

May you rest in the strength of the Lord this Christmas season!

Pin1

1 Shares

3 Ways to Stay Strong When You’re Stuck in the Middle (Psalm 84)

May 14, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 25 Comments

Can someone just give us an end date?

Sometimes being stuck in the middle is the hardest part of a journey. But even here, God can bless us, if we won’t give up.

Stuck in the Middle

We know when it began, when the coronavirus started keeping us in our homes. But we don’t know when it’s going to end. We don’t know when we can safely hug our friends again or sing with the choir at church or reunite grandkids and grandparents to play together.

Being in the middle can feel abysmal.

Whether it’s from the pandemic or other circumstances . . .

Our strength wanes; we’re weak.
Our supplies run out; we’re thirsty.
Our optimism turns dark; we’re discouraged.

Help in Psalm 84:5-7

But our lack never takes God by surprise. As we look at Psalm 84 this month (see all the posts here), we can see how God met needs in the middle of Old Testament days and how He can meet our needs right now in the middle of 2020.

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84

The sons of Korah wrote this song likely to give hope to the Israelites in exile 2600 years ago. They were also stuck in the middle of their story.

In Psalm 84, they praise God where they are now, but they also look forward to praising God elsewhere later. (Listen to a modern version of the song here).

We can do the same. We, too, can find reasons to praise Him now, and reasons to praise Him later.

3 Ways to Find Strength in the Middle

Here are 3 things we can use from Psalm 84:5-7 to help us in our middle.

1. SWAP YOUR STRENGTH

Swap your strength for God’s strength, even though it can feel counterintuitive to lay down our strength.

But when we humble ourselves and realize we can’t bear up on our own, we take on God’s strength.

Admit your weaknesses and depend on His power, one day at a time. Remind yourself often that He lifts up those who look to Him. Set your eyes on Him throughout your day.

His strength is in you.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”
Psalm 84:5

2. DRINK FROM UNEXPECTED SPRINGS

In Psalm 84:6, the psalmists say they find springs of water in the Valley of Baca (Baca was probably a large shrub).

Even in the desolate places, God has a history of providing water for His people. Where is God providing water for you? Are you going there to drink?

Allow yourself to be replenished by God’s grace by drinking deeply from His provisions. Expect to find Him everywhere, even in unexpected places. Maybe in a song, a scripture, a conversation, an experience, a prayer, a book.

His rain fills every pool.

“As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.”
Psalm 84:6

3. REFRAME YOUR PERSPECTIVE

In the muddled middle, we’re most tempted to give up. We’ve lost the enthusiasm that came at the start, and the end goal seems out of reach.

But at this time, more than ever, we need to keep our eyes focused on the breathtaking view at the summit. Reframe your perspective to remember that not only is God with you in this situation, but there are better times ahead.

God won’t leave us down. He brought us this far to bring us up, to see us through to the end. Set short-term goals to stay motivated through each day. But remember the long-term goal of getting to the other side.

At each stop along the way, God has a gift for you. He has a special strength awaiting you. Travel from one stop to the next, picking up a new strength designed specifically for you, specifically for this step.

Go from strength to strength.

“They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”
Psalm 84:7

Stay on the Right Road

Our journey isn’t over yet. We don’t have an end date.

But we can trust we’re on the right road to victory if we’re walking with God.

Let’s keep seeing God both along the way and at the end of the road.

Swap your strength for His.
Drink from unexpected springs in dry valleys.
Reframe your perspective, going from strength to strength.

Not only is God worthy of our praise now, He will be worthy of our praise at the end, too.

With God, we can do this. We are and will be blessed.

Even in the middle.

Reflection Questions

1. Do a mental walk through your history of hard times. What was the hardest point? When did you most see God?

2. The Valley of Baca (Psalm 84:6) may be the same as Bochim in Judges 2:1-5. Read the story there. What lessons can you apply to your situation?

3. Look for a common theme in these verses and their surrounding text. How does it help you persevere in the middle?

Psalm 84:7, Strength to strength
John 1:16, Grace to grace
2 Corinthians 3:18, Glory to glory

Stuck in the middle? Use these 3 ways to stay strong. Even here, God can bless us. #Psalm84

Click To Tweet

Do you feel like you’re in the middle of something? What helps you keep hope alive? Share your thoughts in the comments.

The Whole Armor of God

September 3, 2019 by Patti Brown 5 Comments

The printer doesn’t work. The car gets a flat tire. You get sick. Your phone lights up with complaints.

If you have ever been involved in ministry, whether as a volunteer, or for your job, you know – there are obstacles everywhere you turn. Your heart is to serve, but you find in the midst of your ministering that many things are difficult, and your patience is a little shorter than you thought. The twists and turns and tests prove to be more rigorous that you anticipated.

I see this all the time, both in my own work, and listening to others in ministry. The path can be very challenging.

Most often the challenges come in the form of humans. Conflicts and complaints are steady when you are in leadership. You might feel discouraged, embattled.

And guess what? You are in a battle! But not with people.

The Battle is Not Against Flesh and Blood

Ephesians 6:12 tells that our real battle is not against other humans.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12

We may live on earth, but as Believers, we have one foot in God’s heavenly kingdom as well. The battles we face here have an eternal component that you and I must remain mindful of.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

It is easy to be distracted by the joys and challenges of our day to day lives, but everything we do also has eternal significance. I have experienced times of great discouragement in ministry, times when I am exhausted and it seems like the problems will never end. I forget in those moments that my true battle is not against the people and the problems, but is rather a profound spiritual battle.

When we remember that the battle is against the enemy, it realigns us with God’s view. We can remember to stand in His strength, because obviously you and I can not fight an enemy of that magnitude alone!

Therefore Take Up the Whole Armor of God

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13)

Our true strength is found in God, and God alone!

…apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5b)

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

The only way we can stand is in the strength of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

And how do we do that on a practical level? We put on the whole armor of God!

As spiritual warriors, we adorn ourselves with the one offensive and five defensive pieces of our God-given armor:

Belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14a)
Breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14b)
Shoes of readiness/peace (Ephesians 6:15)
Shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)
Helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17a)
Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17b)

Throughout the month of September we will take a closer look at the whole armor of God, and how you can apply the concepts of the spiritual armor to your daily life.

We pray that you will grow deeper in understanding of the protection and strength that God has provided for you!

Take a closer look with us at the spiritual armor this month! #ArmorofGod #Ephesians6

Click To Tweet