GOD is my STrengTH. . .

I have a dream. And it’s been the one constant in my life. Wishes and aspirations, all of us have them. We wish for different things at different times in our lives. We wish……………

So often, you hear people wish for so many things. Wishing is easy, but we cannot and should not expect life to be made up of wishing.  I once heard a Christian preacher say you don’t need a wishbone, you need a backbone. And quiet honestly, I do agree. So many times, I see people pray for what they require, but when it comes to the required action, they take a back-step.

We have to do the right thing at the right time. God expects that from each of us. Faith requires action. You cannot pray and then take a seat and expect God to do everything. Just take a step and watch God will take ten for you. God’s one step is a leap in time. So, believe in what God expects of you. When God asks you to be still (to wait) you do. But when He asks you to move, you move. Obedience is the key. Excuses want get your prayers answered.

We need to get out of our comfort zones. We need to feel the direction the wind blows in. We need to take a chance. We need to move with a certainty and confidence in God. 

As a kid, when I would find myself a million years away from my dream, this is what I would do, I would sing a song from ABBA - ‘I have a dream’. The first paragraph goes like this:

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder (wonder) of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream - I have a dream

I kept pushing myself. This is what I kept saying to myself ‘someday, somehow, somewhere it will all come together. My dream will come true.’ Do you for a minute think that I could survive by myself? Do you think that I could motivate myself?

NO!

Reality is I had to make it through, because God was the wind beneath my wings. I could fly I could soar up in the sky, because He was everything, that I ever needed to have.

God is good all the time
He put a song of praise
in this heart of mine
God is good all the time
through the darkest night
His light will shine
God is good
God is good all the time

God is good! Whenever this hymn is sung in the church I feel we miss out on singing from the depths of our heart. I think somewhere after the 5th line and before the 6th we suddenly recall something good that God has done for us. My point being, to the one who hears, we don’t seem so convinced of Gods goodness.

I believe that conviction comes from deep within.

I believe that truth is essential.

I believe in a promise.

I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world.

I believe in God.

I believe that you are Gods most prized possession, you are His autograph. You are made in His likeness and image. You are the apple of His eyes.

Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dreams. Don’t ever give up on the dream you have and yes love your life. It is Gods gift to you.

When people tell me something is impossible. I tell them point blank “I serve a God of Impossibles.”

I believe. My question is when will you?
 

 

When we speak of God’s power and strength, God’s creative majesty and wonder, we are speaking about God’s Omnipotence ... the ability of God to do that which God wants to do.

Omnipotence-which means ‘all powerful'.

We need to remind ourselves of who we are in God and what we have. God calls us to live in His strength. Some elements of our lives when we live in His strength:

• We work in situations beyond our capabilities.
• We are not limited to what we know; we are limited to what God knows, which has no limit.
• God accomplishes a lot with a little.
• God moves in the hearts and minds of others to accomplish His will in our lives.
• God uses ordinary people to accomplish mighty works.
• We work yet at the same time rest, because it is His power working through us.
• We often work in areas that are specifically our weaknesses so we learn to trust Him.
• We prosper beyond our own capabilities.
• We are asked to do something for which we aren’t prepared.
• We don’t endlessly strive.
• Our efforts don’t equal our returns – they equate to God’s work in us, which is much more.
• There is no race in God’s Kingdom.
• There is balance, rest and satisfaction.  

  

"Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence Him" Psalm 25:14

God is infinite. God has no limits or boundaries.

God is self-existent. He has no beginning. He is the Creator.

God is eternal. God encompasses all of eternity!

God Is All-Powerful.

"O Sovereign Lord! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for You!" Jeremiah 32:17

God has the ability and strength to do whatever He pleases. He never fails. No matter what you might be facing, nothing is too hard for Him. No problem is too complicated for Him to solve. No foe is too strong for Him to conquer.

"By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope" Ephesians 3:20

If and when we truly seek to do God's will, then there is nothing too difficult for us as we depend on His strength.

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13

God Is Present Everywhere.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" Psalm 139:7–10

God is always with us. In Acts 17:28 we are told, "In Him we live and move and exist."

No circumstance can ever remove us from the presence of God. He is always with us, hearing our cries for help. He is always protecting us from danger. He is our God.

Jesus said "I am with you always" Matthew 28:20

God Knows Everything.

God is the source of knowledge and wisdom. God knows more about you than you will ever know about yourself.

King David writes, "O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it … Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know" Psalm 139:1-6

When you face challenges or difficulties, you can be encouraged that God understands what you are going through. He knows about your pressures and problems, and He also knows the purpose for your trials. God promises, " ‘I know the plans I have for you … They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope' " Jeremiah 29:11

God Is Sovereign.

God is all-knowing. Nothing occurs without His divine permission. Daniel 2:21 states: "God determines the course of world events; He removes kings and sets others on the throne". Without God's sustaining providence, none of us could live another day.

Be encouraged: God is in control, and He supernaturally directs your life. Proverbs 19:21 states, "You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail."

Difficulties and suffering are tools in God's sovereign hands with which He shapes us into the image of Jesus Christ. The Bible promises, "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them" Romans 8:28

God Is Holy.

As we meditate on God's supreme holiness, we cannot help being overcome with a sense of awe.

Proverbs 9:10 states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding". To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him, but to have a reverential respect for His magnificent greatness and unlimited authority. Psalm 2:11 states, "Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling". We have been set apart by God to be holy. As the holiness of God works into our beings, we will become sensitive to sin and learn to abhor it as God does. God's holiness demands our devotion and our daily decision to surrender to Christ.

"But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God-who chose you to be His children-is holy" 1 Peter 1:15

God Is Truth.

Jesus said-"I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true" John 18:37

As Moses (Numbers 23:19) was considering God's truthfulness, he said, "God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a human, that He should change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" Whatever God promises will always be fulfilled.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" John 14:6.

Jesus told His disciples, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth" John 14:16-17.

Jesus promises, "You are truly My disciples if you keep obeying My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" John 8:31-32. God's truth frees us to live as He intended.

"Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth" Psalm 86:11.

God Is Righteous.

"The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made" Psalm 145:17

We live in an age where the distinction between right and wrong is becoming increasingly blurred. That what is morally right varies from person to person and situation to situation. Yet God's standards do not change; they are timeless.

When we place our trust in Jesus, God no longer sees our sinfulness, but only the perfect righteousness of Christ that now clothes us.

We must hold fast to the righteous standards set forth by God. God will hold every person accountable according to His decrees.

God Is Just.

"I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve" Jeremiah 17:10.

God is absolutely just in all His judgments. God cannot be fooled. His decisions are always based on absolute truth. "Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!" Deuteronomy 32:4.

Many people mistakenly believe they can manipulate God's system of justice. They think that God is fooled by their excuses.

But because He is a just God, His verdict will always be right. "The Lord is righteous, and He loves justice" Psalm 11:7.

God hates sin. We serve a just God, so what you do in this life will matter for eternity.

God Is Love.

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is" Ephesians 3:17, 18.

God's love is unconditional. It is not based on how good you are or what you do to please Him. He loves you because He is God and you are His creation. God's love never fails.

John explains, "This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" 1 John 4:10. Jesus gave His life on the cross. We, in turn, are to love God wholeheartedly. God, has created us to find our greatest joy and fulfillment in loving Him.

"Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:39

God Is Merciful.

"The Lord is full of compassion and mercy" James 5:11.

God is mercy. Matthew 5:45 states: "He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust".

God shows you mercy because He compassionately cares about you.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" Matthew 5:7. In fact, Jesus said, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:15.

God's mercy flows to those who show mercy to others.

God Is Faithful.

"If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" 2 Timothy 2:13.

Faithfulness is at the heart of all that God is and does. His truthfulness, holiness, love, righteousness, and other attributes ensure His faithfulness.

God is faithful to protect you from the evil one. God is faithful to fulfill His promises. Hebrews 10:23 states, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

God is faithful, He will never fail you! He cannot be otherwise.

"If you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for He will never fail you" 1 Peter 4:19.

God never changes. His strength will sustain you.

Psalm 33:11 states, "The Lord's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken." God's plan is unchangeable. It existed at the beginning of creation and remains the same today. And you are part of His plan! Psalm 18:30 states, "As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true."

"The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever" Isaiah 40:8. 

David walked on the battlefield. David chose the stone and slung it. David swung and aimed the sling. David wielded the sword. But who killed Goliath?

According to David, God did. 1 Samuel 17:46-47. David refused to rely on his own strength or his own armor. Instead, he relied on God’s strength.

If we want to face the giants in our lives, we have to learn to rely on God’s strength. Notice that for David, relying on God’s strength didn’t look like sitting at the edge of the battlefield just waiting on God to send fire from heaven. It meant that David chose a stone, slung a stone, and struck off a head. To the casual observer it may not have looked like God doing anything.

But David did all these things because he was actually relying on God’s strength.

Some practical ways to rely on God’s strength are:

#1: Surrender

…Surrender to God. In 2 Corinthians 12:10, we are only strong when we are weak. Only when we recognize we can’t win will we truly give ourselves over to God and let Him win the victories through us.

#2: Walk in God’s Presence

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we should “pray without ceasing.”

Pray because you are convinced God is right there with you listening. Talk with Him while you go through your day. Ask Him to help with the decisions you are about to make.

#3: Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we should give thanks in every circumstance. Be thankful for… the air you breathe, friends, husband, wife, kids, job, church, etc… This list can go on and on. Give thanks to God always.

#4: Contact God through His Word

Read the Bible. Listen to God’s word for the help it is offering. Find passages that relate to you and return to them again and again as needed. God’s word gives life.

#5: Relying on God

If we keep going to places, hanging out with people, and interacting with the things that have always led us to sin, then we are relying on our own strength. Not so. Relying on God’s strength means cutting off what leads us to sin.

#6: Acts of Service and Love

To rely on God’s strength means following Jesus. Jesus was a servant-Matthew 20:28. If we want to be like Him, we need to work on serving.

#7: Do the Right Thing

Relying on God’s strength means simply doing what He tells us to. Listen to His advice. Seek His way. Do what He says. But by doing these things, you will be stepping onto the battlefield in the name and strength of the Lord. He will win the victories.

REMEMBER:  Just the other day I was watching discovery and I saw a twelve year old. When I first watched I though she should be five, but as the program proceeded I realized that she was having a spinal problem. Due to which she looked like a five year old.

When speaking she expressed how happy she was that her mother did not give her up. If you watched the program you would definitely feel a pain in your heart. Because I did.

‘God makes every one have a challenge’. This is the amazing sentence that came out of a 12 year old girl suffering from a spinal problem. That was the moment I said ‘WOW’. Imagine that out of the mouth of a kid.

CONCLUSION: When we speak of strength, we usually relate it to power. When given a position we want to control everything. Having power means having the ultimate say to what you can do. God forbid a person who won’t get along with the plans. Then the so called power is used to destroy or vanquish your opponent so that one can prove ones power. This is the capacity of a human being to destroy what one is against-the capacity to prove ones strength. There are a few exceptions to the rule.

Not so with God. On a fine day, a friend and I were talking and he named someone in the top hierarchy, whom he knew. And I told him I knew someone above him. He named names. Finally he asked me for the name. I replied ‘GOD’. I could see the expression it was not what he expected.

Little do we realize that God is the most powerful of all.

Could it be that God being God is more tolerant? He is the most compassionate. He is mercy itself. Full of understanding-exceptionally tolerant to everything we do. Could it be that He is Just to all and partial to none. Could it be that His love surpasses all understanding? He is faithful. He is the truth. Holy is His name. Mighty God.. Sovereign ruler and an all forgiving God.

We don’t think of God as powerful because He is good and because of all the attributes that flow from Him. We have associated power with corruption. We think with a human mind and thus we fall short of seeing the wonders that God performs from age to age. Open your heart and you will know of a love that transcends time and space. And you will know of His mighty strength. You will stand in amazement and awe. God is what God does! Time is in God’s hand. He has no need to prove anything.

I challenge you tonight to let God be your strength. Let Him take over the load in your life. Trust Him with your life. Keep up the faith. Rely on God’s strength.

PRAYER:  Abba Father, you are my anchor in life’s ocean!

 You are my shelter from the raging storm.

You are my comfort when troubles come.

And when I was most alone Your love brought me home.

Promise date: 21st August, 2012. (Matt 19:26)
Promise date: 22nd August, 2012. (Luke 01:37)