Strength

Written By JessicaG
 
Fellowship-Bible-Church-Palmyra-WI-Strength-Blog

"Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant..."  -Psalm 86:16

That's odd.  I mean; what is the point of a servant?  Isn't the whole point of having someone work for you that they give their strength to you and your purposes?  But notice where the strength for God's servants comes from: "Give your strength to your servants."  God's servants serve--as 1 Peter 4:11 says--"by the strength that God supplies."

So, firstly, if you need strength today--and who of us doesn't?--get it from God.  God is not a God who demands our strength, but who demands that we accept His strength.  He is a God unlike any other idea of god anyone anywhere ever yet had: He serves His servants.  It's backwards.

Also, what strength are we getting?  Not strength in some generic sense, but God's own: "your strength."  This is a whole different kind of energy bar than those currently on the market.  God's strength is the strength that flung bajillions of stars into space, and keeps them keeping-on.  His is the strength that makes dead people into alive people.  It's "strength" on a whole 'nother level.

So, secondly, if you feel weak in a way that's overwhelming or debilitating, then this is the strength for you.

And then, how does this strength come to us?  "Turn to me...and be gracious to me."  It comes to us in God's presence: His turning is Himself coming close to us.  also it comes in His grace.  That is, in Jesus.  Jesus is God Himself, turning to us, coming near, "becoming flesh and dwelling among us." (Jn 1:14)  And Jesus is God's Grace given: "thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" (2C 9:15) 

So, lastly, the strength that we all of us require is available to us in none other than your King and mine, Jesus.  God loves to give His servants His strength.  But He doesn't do anything that isn't at the same time moving us closer to Jesus.  To accept His strength is to accept the ever-meddling presence of His Son.  To accept His life-giving grace is to accept the grip of Christ on the projects and problems of your life. 

That's good news.  Much of life is like being a Junior High baseball outfielder: we run around shouting, "I got it!  I got it!" and then catch the ball in the forehead, or run full speed into a teammate (who is also shouting "I got it!").  Thank the LORD that we have what we need, in Christ, because what I need, I don't have, in me.

Featured
"What" Changes When Everything Changes
"What" Changes When Everything Changes

When the Gospel-WHY changes our HOW, this will transform WHAT we do.

How to Start Your Day Right: Silence the Wicked!
How to Start Your Day Right: Silence the Wicked!

Psalm 101 is mostly affirmations, self-talk taken right off the best of the web’s “best practices for great mornings” articles.

Always Not Useless
Always Not Useless

What has Paul been doing in Galatia? He’s been engaged in the spiritually exhausting, emotionally demanding, mentally taxing work of introducing sinners to Jesus and trying his best to make sure they understand who Jesus is and what He did and what that now means for them. It’s labor, he says, toil, struggle; it’s hard work.

You are a Real Thing
You are a Real Thing

I’ve been reflecting on the Bible’s historicity. That is the question of whether the story of the Bible is meant to be read as existing within the same universe, the same timeline, on the same planet, having the same sorts of people, as our lives. The answer, of course, is yes: The Bible is clearly, thickly, meant to be read as historical. All measures of historicity verify this.

Whose Righteousness Endures Forever
Whose Righteousness Endures Forever

Psalm 112 describes a man whose "righteousness endures forever." In ten verses there are three references to how "his righteousness endures forever... he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever." (3, 6, 9)

Equipped is Good
Equipped is Good

Last week’s devotional (“Good is Perfect”) captured was has been such a helpful truth for me through the years. And it’s one that puts us on a much more biblical, practical, realistic, foundation for life with God. See, God didn’t design us to be perfect, He designed us to be useful, “good” for His purposes. The question isn’t, “How can I be a better me this year?” It’s, “How can I be of more use to my Lord?”

Good is Perfect
Good is Perfect

When the Bible uses the word “perfect” it means “good.” And this is a more useful standard for us to employ.

Bread Alone?
Bread Alone?

As a Bible Church, we believe it is important for us to read God's Word.
It is one of those simple, non-spectacular, habits--along with prayer and church attendance--that accounts for so much of our spiritual health or unhealth. No one who neglects these habits will be spiritually healthy. Anyone who invests in them will get healthier.

"I would remind you"
"I would remind you"

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1Co 15:1-2)

Snip Snip
Snip Snip

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch... that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit....4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:1-5)

 
JessicaG

I'm a small-town Wisconsin photographer, digital strategist, motorbike aficionado, and expert silly face maker. Obsessed with: gadgets, my 8yo niece, and all furry, four-legged creatures.

Most days, you'll find me in flip flops, working from the hammock with a smile on my face and a cat called Noodle in my lap. My bags are always packed for my next two-wheel adventure, because you just never know when an opportunity might arise.

My photography style? It's real and authentic. I'll do just about anything to make you laugh, and focus on those precious, candid moments that naturally occur when fun is being had.

Years from now, I want you to look at your photographs and have all of those memores come flooding back. The innocence of your littles when they are just a few weeks old, the vibrant smiles of your toddler when they got to dig into an entire cake all by themselves, the family portrait of your whole family together before your babies went off to college...you'll almost be able to relive those magical moments all over again.

That's why I do what I do. To capture the moments - the stories - of your life so you can relive them whenever you need a smile.

http://www.sapphiregreenphotography.com
Previous

Contstraints