Draw Your Strength from the Lord

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

          At times like this, our life can feel like it is rapidly unravelling, and it can seem like nothing is certain anymore. The truth is, our world has always been an insecure and unsafe place, but it has recently highlighted that fact by showing us its’ true colours. When things are going well, it is easy to be lulled into complacency, forgetting that life on Earth is fragile and can change very quickly. We should remember, however, that conflict is not a new thing. Right from the outset, in the garden of Eden, the serpent has been an aggressive enemy, looking for strategic opportunities to strike at the heel of mankind.

          The Ephesians were no different than us, they too faced tremendous opposition and challenges. Paul, himself, was a battle-seasoned warrior, who understood only too well, the fight of faith, in fact, he wrote this letter chained within a cold, dark prison cell. Like a general preparing his troops for war, he lays out in writing God’s strategy of warfare. Be strong. Don’t try to be strong, just be strong. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. Be strong. Strength is the solution to a lot of problems. If we are strong enough, we can face anything, endure all things, and overcome everything. Be strong, but don’t simply muster up strength; don’t be strong in yourselves; be strong in the Lord.

          We are commanded to be strong in the Lord and our Father would never command us to do something impossible. No intelligent parent would demand that their young child do something beyond their capability, that would be unfair and unjust. God commands, but within the command itself is the power to do it. The Word of God has self-fulfilling power. When God says, ‘Be strong’, we must simply receive the power to be what He has commanded. If the Lord Jesus stood in front of you and said, ‘Be healed’, you would not try to heal yourself, you would simply receive the power to be healed. He commanded it and He will provide what is necessary for it to be fulfilled.

          The great secret to the Christian life is realizing our union with Christ. He has united us and made us one with Him. Be strong in union with the Lord. Whatever we merge with transfers its’ strength into us. If a small company merges with a big corporation, the small company ceases to be small and takes on the strength of the large organization. I am united to the strongest being in the universe. My spirit has been submerged into His. I have His strength and power; therefore, I can stand strong and face all situations bravely. It is not my strength; it is His strength that he imparts to me. This kind of strength comes from a Spirit-given revelation of my union with Christ. Paul began his letter by asking God to open the eyes of their heart, so they could see what God sees. If we can see what the Lord sees, strength will result. There is a way through, we just have to see it. Yes, Lord, open our eyes to the availability of your strength and the method of access to it.

Inheritance Includes Protection

Isaiah 54:17 - No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, says the Lord.

          Imagine being an inexperienced soldier in an intense battle, with bombs dropping all around, land mines hidden beneath the ground, and bullets whizzing by your head. What thoughts might run through this young soldier’s mind?  How did I find myself in this place? Why is this happening to me? How will I ever survive? Like all battlefields, the very atmosphere is charged with fear, confusion, uncertainty and panic. This is how many in our world are feeling right now. Make no mistake about it, friends, we are in a war and the casualties are real.

          Long before we found ourselves in this current fight, God foresaw every challenge and provided us with what we would need to navigate safely through each of them. And, as always, His provision is contained in His promise. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. It matters not how powerful or advanced the weapon might be. The Almighty God has assured us that it will not succeed, it will not be effective, and it will not defeat us. Our Father God has made this pledge and He cannot lie. His faithful promise forms a very solid premise for us to stand on.

          Right on the heels of the mention of weapons is a reference to the tongue. This suggests the type of conflict we are waging; it is word-warfare. Words paint pictures and our enemy is attempting to paint a picture of loss and defeat in our minds. He is the slanderer and false accuser who hurls vindictive judgements against the righteous, and sadly many times, he uses others to do it. He uses the media with their constant barrage of bad news and gloomy economic forecasts. He uses fearful people who wish to draw everyone into their morbid preoccupation with disaster. Opinions on social media, biased news reports, and predictions of dire times are filling the airwaves. Words, words, words. The only thing that can counteract the rapid-fire of these words is a higher word which carries with it a higher authority.

          In warfare there are various types of encounters. There are all-out assaults designed to take ground from the enemy, and there are battles that aim at defending ground from being taken. For the Christian, our war has already been won; Jesus conquered all. He defeated the enemy at the Cross. The battle that we are in is one of defending the ground that our Lord owns, which very ground He rightfully took back. Notice that the weapon is formed against us, and the words are coming against us; it is a direct attack against each of us. If the battle is already won, then our part is to stand our ground by declaring the truth of God’s Word. This is the pattern which has been clearly revealed by history and constantly repeated in Scripture.

          We stand and defend what we own, but we do not stand in our own righteousness. We stand with courage in our voice because we have been given the gift of righteousness. Someone has once defined righteousness as an ability to stand in the face of anyone without cringing fear or intimidation. We stand before God without fear because of what He has done for us. We stand fearlessly in the face of the accuser knowing that our Father God has cleared us every malicious charge. We stand, with head held high, verbally acknowledging the truth. This is our inheritance which has been graciously given to us. There is no cause for pride as if we had gotten this wealth on our own. There is only cause for gratitude and praise to the One who conquered all our enemies and has lavished upon us the rich inheritance of eternal life and freedom. No weapon formed against you will prosper!

Two Little Words

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice evermore.

Truth has the power to bring great change to our lives, and one reason that it is so powerful is that it never changes to suit any person or circumstance. The truth is unchangeable; it is us that must change; it is situations that must conform to the truth. Tucked away in this fascinating letter from Paul, are two little words of vast importance: rejoice evermore. Two words. This is a great place to start if you think you can never memorize Bible verses. What would happen if we put into regular practise these two words; rejoice evermore? How would our lives change?

Someone has once said that when you run out of ammunition, it’s time to re-load, when you run out of gasoline, it’s time to re-fill, and when you run out of joy, it’s time to re-joice. When we think of rejoicing, we usually picture one who may be celebrating a huge victory or one who just had something unexpected and great happen, and they are running around shouting for joy. As true as these two examples might be, the original word for rejoice also includes the idea of being calmly happy. If a tree is rooted near a water source, it is constantly tapped into life-giving moisture, and it remains unaffected during a hot, arid season. So, we too, no matter what is happening all around us, can have a hidden current of joy, calmly flowing, deep within us. That means that we could be at work, under intense pressure and deadlines, and yet, remain calmly happy. We could be facing a financial crisis, not knowing where the next dollar is coming from, and yet, be calm, cool and collected. Truly, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

While it is important to rejoice and be happy, it is also very important that we are considerate and sensitive to other people and what they are going through. If someone has just lost a loved one, for example, it is not appropriate to tell them to rejoice. No! That is the time to follow God’s other instructions; to weep with them that weep. Show sympathy and compassion. Give people time and space to grieve and process their loss. This command from God to rejoice is addressed to the individual alone; we are not called to insist that others rejoice, we are called to make our own choice to rejoice, and to make it our own personal habit.

When are we to rejoice? Underneath the English word, evermore, is a Greek word that literally means, every when. When are we to rejoice? Every when. When things are not going well. When you are feeling heavy and depressed. When adversity and troubles seem to be piling up all around you. When sickness attacks your body. When you have lost your job and your savings account has dried up. When your long-time friend has decided to disown you. That is when we are to rejoice. Every when.

If I am rejoicing, then I cannot be, simultaneously, complaining about anything. If I practise this truth, then I cannot, at the same time, be worried and full of fear. Rejoicing displaces self-centered grumbling, it casts out all fear, and it fills the heart with peace. If we are going to remain calmly happy, especially in the middle of a crisis, it is necessary to know the reason why we can stay calm. God, our gracious Father is with us and He always desires the best for His children. He is watching over us every moment. He has a wise and loving Father’s plan and it will come to pass. He has purchased us, and we are heirs to His great fortune. We have a lot to be thankful for. I encourage you, friends, join me, and begin to practise this daily, and as we do, fear and anxiety will be locked out and we will experience a new level of freedom and a fresh sense of fulfillment. Rejoice evermore!