Strong in the Lord

I do not consider myself to be weak physically or mentally, and nor do I regard myself as emotionally fragile or frail. But as the years go by and life rolls over me, I am beginning to understand the magnitude of the Lord’s strength. The Old Testament records the experiences of God’s people who were often weak and oppressed, and it is fascinating to observe that believers have lent on the Lord’s strength for thousands of years. We read in the books of Proverbs and Jeremiah that ‘their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth’. Jer 50:34. Prov 23:11.

The power of God will bring us to peace and rest. He will quieten our heart and take us to a place where we can be assured that our Redeemer is strong. Another verse in the book of Jeremiah says, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength’. Jer 17:5. And in the book of Psalms David asked, ‘Who in the heavens is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord?’ He goes on to say that the Lord has a strong arm, His hand is mighty and His right hand is exalted. Psa 89:6, 13.

In the New Testament, Paul also had much to say about God’s strength. He told the Ephesians to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might’. Eph 6:10. He also spoke of ‘the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, in accordance with the strength of His might’. Eph 1:19. In this verse, we find that the word ‘might’ actually means ‘force’ or ‘vigour’ and we can, therefore, conclude that God’s strength is His capacity to exert force on a matter. In fact, there are a number of words which have been translated as ‘strength’ in the New Testament and although they are used interchangeably, they actually mean ‘authority’, ‘power’ and ‘vigour’. Along with strength itself, they describe four distinct attributes of God.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said, ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’. Phil 4:13. And to Timothy, he wrote, ‘The Lord stood with me and strengthened me’. 2 Tim4:17. The apostle Peter instructed his readers to serve with ‘the strength which God supplies’. 1 Pet 4:11. As I read these verses, I have an image of a strong Redeemer with an inherent authority and capacity to be powerful in our lives. As Christians, we can rejoice in weakness, knowing that when we are weak, He is strong. 2 Cor 12:10. However, I do not believe that we should remain in a state of weakness because we can be confident that He is engaged with us and at work in our lives, exerting His might and power. At the age of 50 plus years, I am learning to stand in the presence of the Lord and am finding comfort and strong confidence in the knowledge that He is standing with me.

David Falk

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November 2009

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Strong in the Lord