In Christ - I am strong in the LORD

I am strong in the Lord...

Psalms 18:1,2 I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Daily Word – Jack Graham – January 27, 2010

And when He [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4

"Do you remember the story in the book of Luke when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing? Seeing they were empty handed, Jesus told Simon Peter to throw the nets on the other side of the boat.

"Now, you can hear the lack of excitement in Simon Peter’s response when he said, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!" But still he threw the net out as Jesus told him to do. And a miracle happened! They caught so many fish that their two boats began to take on water!

"So overwhelmed with what he saw, Simon Peter "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8).

"You see, Simon Peter came to the end of himself, but Jesus was just beginning! In fact, Jesus gave him a new calling saying, "From now on you’ll be catching men."

"Have you reached the end of yourself? Has your toil left you empty-handed? Are you exhausted from working in your own strength? If so, then it’s time to fall at Jesus’ feet.

"Yield to Jesus completely. Follow His direction. And He will restore you and prepare you to fulfill your calling in His kingdom.

"HAVE YOU REACHED THE END OF YOURSELF? IF SO, THEN IT’S TIME TO FALL AT JESUS FEET."

I’ve spent a LOT of time at the feet of Jesus – sadly, it’s not the first thing I think of when I’m "in a fix" and overwhelmed. I’m getting better at seeking Him and His strength for the tasks ahead - but I’ve got lots of room to grow. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say "I know that God won’t give me more than I can bear" – implying that it’s God’s will that we try to handle life on our own strength and with our own limited resources. I’ve got some news for you! That’s not in the Bible – ANYWHERE!
In fact, quite the opposite is true! We see God putting people in situations and circumstances that are WAY over their ability to bear – they couldn’t do it in their own strength – and when they tried they just made a bigger mess! There are many times when God WILL – and DOES – give us more than we can bear – and when He does, we have a choice – do we try to "hang in there" in our own strength and ability – or do we cast our cares on Him, knowing that He is faithful? There are many things in my life right now that I "can’t bear" – I "can’t bear" the constant pain I’m in – I "can’t bear" the stress and strain of a ministry that is underfunded and deals with life and death decisions on a daily bases. I "can’t bear" the pain I see in my friends – the raw emotions that are overwhelming them right now. I can’t bear it – but JESUS can. I can choose to cast all of my pain – all of my stress – all of those feelings that weigh me down – on the broad and strong back of my Savior – because HE CAN – and HAS borne it for me! SO – if you’re feeling like things in your life are out of control – take time with Jesus – let Him bear those burdens for you!(PS – God DOES say "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1Cor 10:13 SO – in the context of our battle over temptation HE won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. BUT – we still have free will – and we can push Him aside and do what we want – and when we do we can’t blame God for the outcome – WE did it to ourselves! If you’ve fallen into sexual sin (or any other sin), it’s not that you "couldn’t" resist – it’s that
you "wouldn’t.")
Sharon Pearce, Director
Silent Voices International
www.silentvoices.org
svoices@pacbell.net
619-422-0757