Tag Archives: God’s strength

God’s Strength

Eastertide

May 19, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! —Psalm 29:1-2.10-11

I have heard children of very prominent people say that he was just Dad or she was just Mom, and that was great to them, but they for a long time did not realize who Dad or Mom was to the world or the impact either of them had. I think it is good to have that deep relationship with God. I will always consider Jesus as my friend who was with me starting in childhood. Thus, it may be hard for some of us to realize the fuller nature of God.

The word strength is mentioned in this Psalm related to God and as the Lord gives it to God’s people. God always seems to think of us as what? Family? Community? No, but in the totality of people. We quickly get the idea of family and soon develop an understanding of community. Why is it so hard for us to welcome the breadth of God’s people? Including all humans, all made in God’s image.

We humans seem to need to define who God’s people are. Some limit God to their specific faith system. Others delegate human connection to God by the color of their skin or nationality or political view, or any other attributes that set them apart as uniquely God’s people. God seems to recognize all people as God’s people, even those who do not return the relationship. God indeed wants to have a connection with all, but God wants us each to make that decision by choice. That is the essence of love, enjoying the absolute best for someone with no strings attached and rejoicing if they respond. Claiming to love God is the easy part. God expects us to love one another no matter what. Our loving one another is our best way to show God we love God. We should not let that scare us. God gives the strength to do just that.

Prayer: Glory to God in the highest who blesses us with peace.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

A Time to Rebuild

Epiphany

January 7, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendor.and

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
   and strips the forest bare;
   and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! –Psalm 29:1-2, 9-11

The horrible ice storm that whirled through Oklahoma City in October did indeed strip the trees bare. We were well reminded of the power in the universe the All-Powerful One created. Three months later, I look out on a 15-foot pole in my backyard that looks scalped and like someone tried to sharpen into a spear at the top. Otherwise, it is stripped bare of leaf or branch. The man who takes care of my yard when he came to clean up the damage from the storm said, “let’s let it go for now and see if it will come back.” I have my doubts. I wonder if my reaction to my sad yard is like the Israelites reaction to arriving back in Jerusalem after the exile and finding the temple in ruins.

The Psalmist reminds us that we are not alone. The Lord gives strength and peace to God’s people. God emboldened those returning Israelites to rebuild the temple and start their lives anew. Humans go through various stages of starting over throughout life. Some of those challenges are welcomed and planned, like starting a family. The first child always turns a couple’s world upside down. Equally, impactful is the loss of a loved one. Likewise, such change comes on nations as our political season is now impacting us. The entire world is struggling to deal with the COVID pandemic. We will never be the same. However, we have the choice of how we rebuild—how we elicit the strength and guidance of God to learn from the mistakes we have made and build a better future for all God’s children.

Prayer: Lord, give us strength and bless us with your peace as we deal with the impacts of change in our world today, Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Weak Hands and Feeble Knees

Advent

December 10, 2019

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10

 Strengthen the weak hands,
   and make firm the feeble knees.
 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’ –Isaiah 35:3-4

I have quoted this scripture as my favorite prayer from the Bible, somewhat jokingly, but also with more than a thread of truth because I have had osteoarthritis since I was 24, contributing to both weak hands and feeble knees. So, I keep a hand grip exercise tool by my chair and try to remember to use it regularly. My knees, however, have been strengthened by those God gifted with the skills of science as my knees are now as strong as steel, or titanium really, having both been replaced.

Regarding my hands, opening plastice water bottles is one of my greatest challenges. Most of the time I can get them opened but I also have discovered that male friends and men I have never met, graciously open those pesky lids that even they at times have to give a little more effort to undo. That experience has taught me that God has gifted each person with diverse talents and skills and working together is necessary in the Kingdom of God. I do not like the image of God as a god of vengeance but God is the God of strength that can be depended on to clear the way for love to rule.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for providing ways for all to succeed in answering your call to love even those of us with weak hands or feeble knees or fearful hearts. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Strength of the Lord

Advent
December 19, 2018

Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace. –Micah 5:4-5

There is no question that Jesus thought everyone should have enough food to eat and one could read the scripture above and understand it to mean that we too as followers of Christ are called to follow his example and assure that all have adequate food to eat. I think though Micah here is talking more about feeding our souls with the strength of the Lord. I have been a part of many attempts to do justice in our world over several years and have discovered the people who stick with doing justice most likely are routinely strengthened with the nurture of the Lord. They are committed to a higher calling.

Those of us who are very goal oriented find it frustrating not to see the results of our labors. Some fall away and seek other causes or just give up. Others live the journey of faith not its outcomes. As we strive to carve out a more just world, we also seek to grow in the wisdom and ways of the Lord. I think Jesus was very goal oriented. He foresees eternal outcomes that might be measured in small steps. For those of us who try to emulate him our faith that his vision will come to fruition is our outcome. Our work must be crucial to that outcome or God would not have called us to do it. Such faith demands a strong relationship with God and a willingness to trust in God’s plan.

Prayer: God strengthen us in our service and remind us that your yoke is easy, and your burden is light* because you are pulling with us every step of the way. Amen

*Based on Matthew 11:28-30

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

God is Stronger than Human Strength

Epiphany
January 26, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. –1 Corinthians 1:18-25

God has an eternal history of dealing with whatever we humans throw at God. Like a good parent, God strives to mold and make us into productive, contributing beings. We struggle into our autonomy, our self-governance, as we mature and grow with the freedom to become whatever we choose to be. There are external forces working against and for us every step of the way making us stronger or weaker based on our response to them. The Holy Spirit is an internal force constantly striving to facilitate our maturity as a child of God. We take solace in the fact that this force always has our best interest at heart even while our communing with this Advocate is our choice.

Throughout my life, I have had occasion to feel as if all my efforts relating to justice are like ramming my shoulder against a solid brick wall leaving me with only a bruised shoulder. When I experience such a pity party, it helps me to remember that justice ultimately is God’s dominion. My task is to stay in synch with God within the example of Jesus the Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Simply working the process is difficult for us goal oriented people as it demands a letting go of our agendas and having a level of trust in God that may seem life foolishness at times. At such times, we need to hold tightly to 1 Corinthians 1:25: For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Prayer: We thank you God for the constancy of your love. Forgive us when we hesitate to step out in faith in continuing your work at times when we feel defeated. Restore and reinforce our relationship with you and guide us forward on our common journey. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Weak Knees

weak kneeAdvent
November 28, 2014

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

[God] will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. — 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

I do believe that God strengthens people inexplicably in sudden unpredictable crisis, like fireman, carrying someone they normally could not lift, out of a burning building to save his or her life. Most of the time our strength in God comes from our practicing the disciplines of faith. In this time of inward searching we need to consider our dedication to practicing such disciplines so that we can be prepared for the ministries God is calling us to do.

It is a fact that I have bad knees. Well, actually my left knee is pretty good because I have only had it for five years and it is made of stainless steel. I can’t say the same about my right knee, but one of my goals in life is to strengthen the muscles and ligaments surrounding both knees so they work as well as possible as long as possible. I think that is a good metaphor for our practice of the spiritual disciplines. The writer of Hebrews put it this way.

Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:11-12)

While the admonition certainly applies to real knees, I think Hebrews is using an old idiom to get a point across…. if someone goes weak at the knees, they feel as if they might fall down because they have a sudden strong emotion about something or someone.* In our world today we must be prepared for many emotional challenges as well as physical ones. Praying routinely, studying scripture regularly, taking time to meditate, practicing silence in the presence of God, serving others, and worshipping alone plus in community with other believers will all strengthen not only our weak knees but will heal our souls.

Prayer: Lord God, strengthen our weak knees and heal our souls so that we might be active participants in your nation working to bring about wholeness, oneness, and justice to everyone. Amen.

*Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.