Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 40:31; Philippians 4:13; Deuteronomy 31:16; 1 Corinthians 10:3; Ephesians 4: 22-23; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Please comment below with your conversation with God and/or insights from today’s Scriptures.

You can answer the following:

1. What are the Scriptures telling you about strength?

2. How is the strength of God in us important?

3. What is your prayer to God regarding strength?

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Rise Up | Lemuel Ayudtud

The call of God for us to be ambassadors in the world requires for us to be strong and courageous. The leading of the Spirit to go out into all the world requires for us to get out of our comfort zones into the “war” zones where we confront our own reasoning and excuses and fight the onslaught of flesh and spirit against people whom God loves.

Joshua was but a fresh 80ish year old young man when God told him to get up and be courageous, to lead a nation into the Promise Land. The Children of Israel had been in the wilderness for 40 years and many of the previous generation (the generation of Joshua and Caleb) had just died by measure of their unbelief. Now Joshua has to lead them into a new venture that not one of these former slaves have experienced.

A few seasons back, after spying out the territory, they found that giants roamed “the Promised Land”. In fact, when you read the story, a good number of the previous generation dies because they refused to see where God was leading them, holding on to fears and personal perspectives. Now in the precipice of entry into the same land, Joshua had to embolden himself to lead the next generation into battle and establishment. God told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid. Be courageous. I’m for you and with you!”

Strength is the character of God and what should be the habit of His Children. Courage is His Spirit residing in men—men that can be overcome by fear—even at its most foundation. Meaning courage is the manifestation of the Spirit of God in man, even if they don’t believe in Him. So if unbelievers have this, then God delights in His people living in it, desires to have His followers not live by fear.

We live by faith. We press against fears because we hang on with His love (which casts away fears). We are able to do all things because we understand and know that it is He who strengthens us and not ourselves.

So why do we operate in fears? Why do we suffer with lack and minimums? Why do we accept less than what God has promised? If we are to manifest Him in the world, we have to do so with His strength based not on our capacity, but by God’s great strength that resides in us.

It’s in the face of giants that we need His strength. It’s in the face of a fiery furnace that we need His courage. It’s in the face of lions that we need to buck up, bucko. It’s in the face of certain death that we rise up and meet the demands of our world with the calling of God to be…. to be His light in a darkened world, to be that city on a hill that can’t be hid, to be the salt in a tasteless world, to be sons and daughters of God in a world of brokenness and abandonment. Let’s do it. He’s got us and we have Him.

Lord, teach me to yield to Your strength. Help me to hold on to Your word when fears come my way. Keep me in Your power when all I want to do is cower. Let me walk in the boldness that is found in Your promise and grace. Help me to know that I can because You’re able. I ask this in Your Name, Jesus, amen!