We've all said it before. "God, give me the strength..." But have you ever noticed that he doesn't? He doesn't waive his hand and *POOF* , magically you're as strong as an Ox! Or, *POOF*, you have the resolve of a dozen people and are able to get through the day. That's not at all what God does. What he does do, is give us an opportunity to be strong. To do what needs to be done on our own. Don't get me wrong, he is always with us, but like any good parent; he wants his children to be able to stand on our own. I have come to understand this hard truth in the past few years, and have wrestled with it sporadically. But once I accepted the fact that God wants me to be strong, things got easier. Now, I don't pray for God to give me strength. I pray for God to give me an opportunity to be strong. "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 I have heard this verse cited all my life, and I look at it now with new eyes. God does give us strength as Paul states in Philippians, but I think he does it by giving us the opportunity to be strong. To learn from our mistakes, to develop and grow. Not just as a human being, but also as a child of the Lord. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 Psalm 46 is another very resounding verse about God being our strength. I look at this verse like this. A parent is teaching their child to ride a bicycle. The parent holds onto the back of the bike and reassures the child that they are there. But at some point, the parent has to let go so the child can ride the bike on their own. Yes the child might fall down a few times, and God, like a good parent, is there to pick them back up. Our "refuge" like Psalm 46 says. But the parent gives the child a chance to try again. A chance to be strong and to learn from past mistakes and events. Yes, you might stumble. Yes you might fall. But he will always be there to help you back to your feet and to give you a chance to be strong. I like to end my blogs with music, so please enjoy this song from DC Talk. It always helps me to be strong. Be Blessed. (Photo Credit: Pintrest)
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AuthorSpike Bowan is the Pittsburgh, PA born Writer and Fiction Author. He is a Veteran of the US Navy, retired Paramedic, Husband, Father and Christian. BECOME A PATRON. CLICK BELOW!
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