How do we get healthier? Harder to beat? Quicker to recover?
One of the first answers to that question has to be: get stronger.
Thankfully this is a subject Scripture has much to say about. Here are a few of my favorite passages on this topic, in which we'll find much help.
Psalm 84, 5, "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion."
What does it mean to have strength in the Lord? it means that our heart quickly runs to "Zion," that is, to the place where the Promises of God reign. In other words, to the feet of Jesus. Spiritual strength is not "personal righteousness" but a strong appreciation for Jesus (and His righteousness).
We see David do this in 1 Samuel 30:6. "David was greatly distressed... but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." When David was feeling fragile and on the verge of toppling, he went, in his heart, to recall the glory of the LORD, who was David's God. What he recalled about the LORD was enough to turn him around, stand him firm, and fuel him forward.
David explains more of this in Psalm 119:28: "My soul melts away for sorrow..." (i.e. he was greatly distressed) "...strengthen me according to Your word!" Strength comes to us from God... in His Word.
"Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words." (Acts 15:32) What the psalmist describes, the New Testament church practices. Paul blesses the Romans in the same way, saying, "Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ..." (Rom 16:32) The preached Gospel-word is intended by God to be a source of strength for us. This is because the Gospel brings us to Jesus. Our strength is in Jesus. Words of Jesus give us strength.
And to Him, in closing, we turn. Here is a wonderful connection: Daniel (Dan 10:19) says that he met someone glorious who said to him, "O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage." And Daniel says, "as He spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, 'Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."
The identity of this glorious person is not made known, but he is described in specific, extraordinary ways in Daniel 10:5-10. It's the same description in Revelation 1:13-16. But there he is named. It's Jesus.
The word of Christ strengthens us.
Listen, "O you, greatly loved, fear not; peace be with you. Be strong and of good courage." Imagine Jesus saying that to you. Doesn't that give you strength? Will you hear it, though?
Strengthen your heart. Read the Bible. Read it bunches. Study it; pray it; memorize it; sing it; rewrite it in your own words; draw it; share it.
"I love you, O LORD, my strength." (Psa 18:1)
If there's a first step to spiritual health, it's admitting that you're less-than-healthy and asking the Lord to help you. If there's a second step, it's recognizing that the Lord has provided us what we need to get stronger in Him, in His Word, in the Gospel.
(And in case someone reading this wonders at the usefulness of this kind of discipline, let's recall 1Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.")
There's an old saw: "You'll never meet a strong Christian who doesn't read their Bible regularly. And you'll never meet a weak Christian who does." Amen. Oh my.
Let's get healthy, be healthy, get strong, and grow.
Photo by Gordon Cowie on Unsplash
