When we have strength we can make it through tough times. This strength enables us to live a healthy lifestyle and to manage the stress that is present. Are you looking for insight about how God can be a source of strength? Today my devotionals led me back to two passages in Ephesians where Paul shares his understanding of how God supplies us strength. I’ll do my best to pass his wisdom along to you here.
What the Bible Says about Strength and Power
Ephesians 1:15-21 is a prayer of Paul to the people of the church of Ephesus. He is especially praying that they be unified in their new faith so that they can be the body of Christ that God intended them to be. This prayer still applies to us today… and it is my prayer for you. I pray that you may know God better and that your understanding of him be deep in your heart. This deep understanding of who God is and of the love he has for you should be a source of hope – the kind of hope that can only come from God. Accompanying this deep understanding of God and belief in his character and nature should be great power. Paul tells us in verse 19 that this power is like the working of his mighty strength – the same strength that God used to raise Jesus from his grave. This same power, and strength, is available to you if you believe.
Further in this same book, in Ephesians 3:16-21, Paul again writes to these people in a prayer. We are also told that we can have this great power because God’s Holy Spirit lives in us who believe in Jesus. When you are deeply rooted in God’s love you are able to grasp how much Jesus loves you and cares for you. This is hugely important because as you embrace this love, you begin to realize the fullness and power of God. God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in you, gives your mind this ability. It’s not your power, but God’s power that is manifested in you and at work in you. (Ephesians 3:20)
Another important determinant of receiving God’s strength is our weakness. We are told that Jesus’ strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul came to recognize that it was his personal weakness and associated dependence on God that was key to him having power that came from God. So, it is in admitting our weakness that we affirm God’s strength.
Receiving God’s Strength
So, according to these scriptures, how do you receive strength that is available from God?
You believe in his Son, Jesus.
You begin to understand just how much God loves you and you receive this wonderful love.
You humbly acknowledge that you are weak and dependent on God.
You know that his Holy Spirit lives in you.
You believe that God’s power raised Jesus from his grave.
And, you believe that God wants to use this same mighty power for good in your life.
This is how you have strength – strength that comes directly from God. It’s about your faith, belief and trust – the essence of the Christian faith.
You were created by God as his masterpiece to do wonderful things through the salvation you receive by believing in Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 When you receive strength from God, through his mighty power that is available, you can make it through the challenges that life throws at you. When this happens, God is glorified. Ephesians 3:21
Hummingbirds live on nectar from flowers and the sugars that are found in specialty feeders. I have two plants out back that have attracted Ruby Throated Hummingbirds for the past five years. One is an Autumn Sage. The other is a Black and Blue plant – which is what the hummingbird in this video is feeding on. The last few days, these tiny birds have been visiting these flowers frequently as they stock up on the needed fuel they will need for their migration South.
These little birds are amazing. Their average weight is 1/8 ounce. Their wings beat between 40 and 80 beats/second. They breathe approximately 250 times per minute . Their heart rate is an unbelievable 250 beats/min at rest and 1200 beats/min while feeding. Finally, in flight they reach up to 63 miles/hour. Most researchers seem to accept the fact that those who migrate to the Caribbean Islands and Mexico cross the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean waters during a non-stop flight taking 18-20 hours. No wonder they require a lot of food for energy and strength!
People Need God
I imagine most of you know the story of David and Goliath. When David came face to face with the giant, he relied on God’s presence for strength. Read 1 Samuel 17:1-51. David was clearly aware that God was with him. and that the battle was not his, but God’s.(verse 45)
During David’s battle, he focused on God’s presence, not his circumstance or problem. David’s knowledge of God’s presence prevented him from becoming discouraged or giving up.
If you focus on life’s challenges and your opposition in the battles you face, you are likely to lose hope and give up. When you stay in God’s presence and keep the focus on him, he will give you optimism and the strength you need.
Remember, with God, all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
Questions for Reflection
When you need extra strength to make it through a tough or challenging time or when you are facing “giants” in your life, where do you turn? What is your source of strength?
“When individuals, regardless of their faith, incorporate these powerful biblical principles of the Christian faith into their lives, the spirituality and health connection occurs and they will tend to enjoy better health and well-being.”
If you or a loved one are challenged by a mental illness you may want to visit this site at HopeandHealing.org for a listing of Christian resources on the topic.
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 30:17
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Matthew 9:10-12
We are made whole if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and we believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)
This is God’s promise in the Bible. We who believe in Jesus, and in what the Bible says about who He is and what He did, will be saved. We will have eternal life.
Jesus also wants us to have an abundant life on this earth. He tells us this in John 10:10. The way we can live life to the fullest is to surrender our “self” nature to God’s Holy Spirit who lives in us. The more we surrender to Him, the more we will enjoy the ‘fruits’ mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
I hope that you are enjoying the full life that Jesus wants you to experience.
Yes, Jesus died a gruesome death on a cross for you and for me. He also is risen and because of this, we can have life. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
With record-high suicide rates among U.S. soldiers, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains has proclaimed Wednesday, April 8, a day of prayer and fasting for the military. Read the proclamation here. Chaplain (Major General) Douglas L. Carver has called on all Army chaplains, as well as concerned Christians, to pray for the safety and peace of mind for soldiers and their families, according to Military Ministry.
The day of prayer and fasting focuses on suicide-prevention awareness and coincides with the Army’s 120-day “stand down” and unit training, which began Feb. 15.
Carver says, “This has been a long war we’ve been in – for eight years since 9/11,” in an interview with the Baptist Press. “The war has been on an up tempo and at an almost unsustainable rate, with fighting on two fronts,” he said in reference to Iraq and Afghanistan. “Suicide is something we’re now seeing as one of the residuals of this long war.”
In 2008, there were 140 suicides in the Army – the highest recorded number since the early 1980s, Carver said. Some chaplains, who are themselves under great stress, have also committed suicide, the chief of chaplains said.
Carver urges Christians to pray for all U.S. military servicemen and women.
“May God be glorified in the lives of our Army’s Soldiers and Families, and may God bless the United States,” wrote Carver in the Proclamation of Prayer and Fasting letter.
Having served 20 years in the Army and attended and presented at a Army chaplain’s training event recently, this initiative is touches me in a special way an is dear to my heart.
I invite you to join me in prayer and fasting on this solemn day.
Are you weak? Do you need more energy to run your race? Is your strength depleted? God can help.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…. But those who wait on the LORD
shall renew their strength” That’s this weeks scripture found in Isaiah 40:28-31. What a reassuring message! Life can make us weary… it can deplete us from the strength we need to get out of bed and do the things we are required to do. Yes, we can work out by lifting weights and taking our fitness walk. Those activities can provide us a level of fitness that enable our bodies to function physically, yet we also need additional inner strength to be able to function well. Since our mind, body and spirit are interconnected, how we feel spiritually or emotionally can effect or physical energy level. That’s where God can help.
A meaningful and personal relationship with God can give us inner energy and strength that can sustain us. Engaging in spiritual exercises like prayer, reading the Bible and abiding in God’s presence can help us tap into special power that only God can provide. When we are alone with God… when we “wait” on him, we are able to receive his strength. When we believe and trust what we read in scripture and in how God works, our hope is bolstered. This strong belief and hope, grounded in scripture, can give us strength. It’s the same strength that the Psalmist writes about in Psalm 138:3 when he says “As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.”
So, I’ll ask the questions again – Are you weak? Do you need more energy to run your race? Is your strength depleted? Curl up on a couch or your recliner or drop to your knees and spend some one-on-one time with God. Get to know Him better and see if He doesn’t bring you more inner strength.
Go have an awesome day!
Share the Gospel with those who are stressed and coping in unhealthy ways. See the box to the right.
Our beliefs and attitudes are a key component in determining our health. In this regard, hope plays an important role. A person’s faith, grounded in principles they believe to be true according to scripture, can be a source of hope.
When we set out to make a change in our lifestyle it’s important to have a certain degree of belief that we can make the change. This is called self efficacy. Many ingredients contribute to us having a high degree of self efficacy. Let’s say a man wants to lose 30 pounds. To be successful, he would have to believe he could eat healthier. He would need to know he could prepare meals differently. He would also have to believe that he could increase his level of physical activity. It would be important that he believe that when obstacles were to get in his way that he could overcome these obstacles. The more he felt that he could be successful in engaging in these various behaviors, the more likely he would be successful in his attempts to lose weight.
One additional important component for success would be the level of inner strength that he has. When things get tough how “tough” would he be? This is where faith can play a significant role. Our faith can be a foundation upon which we stand in difficult times. It can be a huge resource for us.
In this week’s scripture Paul writes “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” He points out that God should be the source of our hope and that a Christian receives power to have this hope by the Holy Spirit. We can chose to believe that God’s Holy Spirit will empower us to make the changes we are trying to make. This ought to gives us an additional degree of hope.
This hope can help us to be more optimistic that we will be able to do what we are trying to do. In the case of the man who is trying to lose the 30 pounds, this hope in God and in His Spirit to provide him with additional power should better enable him to make all the lifestyle changes he’s trying to make.
Sarah Young writes in her devotional booklet, Jesus Calling, “This hope keeps you spiritually alive during dark times of adversity; it brightens your path and heightens your awareness of My(Jesus) Presence.” In his book God, Faith and Health, Jeff Levin suggests “Those who take these messages (in holy scriptures) to heart may have an increased resistance to disease, decreased risk of depression and emotional distress, and hastened recovery from illness. This is because faith leads to hope, and hope has physiological consequences.”
I believe that hope does have a positive impact on our health. As a Christian knows God better and better, he can have a higher degree of hope and optimism in living life in a way that will help him to be healthier.
I would offer to the person who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus that believing in Him and placing your trust in Him to guide you and to empower you in living life will impact you in many, many ways and among them would be your ability to make lifestyle changes that could improve your health.
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Looking for Strength from God?
With record-high suicide rates among U.S. soldiers, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains has proclaimed Wednesday, April 8, a day of prayer and fasting for the military. 
