FINDING SOMETHING NEW
In talking with new parents, you hear and see exhaustion. Or with someone selling his house. Or starting a new job. And even in talking with someone who has an illness – whether long term or short.
Strength can give way at times much quicker than we would like. One can train for a marathon, the Olympics or a track meet. But these same people could crumble abruptly if the challenge were steep.
We build strength by practicing the skill we want to be strong in. An ice skater for example, practices hours upon hours on the cold ice usually in the early morning. Runners run in all kinds of inclement weather. Backpackers hike in rain, snow and sleet and then sleep outdoors, if that were not enough!
What does Scripture tell us about strength? For starters, we can run in our own strength and not cross the finish line or we can have Jesus as our Strength and make it to the line and all the way through to heaven. We can dash around doing, when what God wants is us to be still and know (Psalm 46:10).
There is a trap of doing to please others and thereby depleting our own strength, our own sense of self-worth and to the point of questioning who we really are because somewhere along the way, our identity was lost. We are to carefully determine what pleases the Lord (Ephesians 5:10) and make pleasing Him our goal of utmost importance.
When we place our trust in the LORD our desire should be to please Him and walk in His ways. It is here we find our Strength and purpose for running the race in the first place. He gives us new hope, new faith, new life and new Strength. We can run and not grow weary (Isaiah 40:31) and we can come to Him if we feel weighed down by burdens we were never meant to carry but somehow manage to.
This new Strength we are promised is just that. New. It’s not second skimmings, leftovers, nor repackaged and repolished. It is new. Straight from the Father’s hand.
What happens if we have been walking with Jesus for a while and we find we are out of strength, or the well runs dry? Is that even possible? Is that what Scripture says?
Isaiah begins 40:31 with our role – trusting in the LORD. Our new strength begins here. As Jesus is the Author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we can take this to mean He is actively writing our faith now in the present tense. And this would mean our trust is for the every day as well. Trusting can be over a course of a lifetime, and for a moment’s notice decision.
It can mean deciding to take the leap of faith, into something new to you, or the leap which had been held out to you for a while but you finally decided it was time to dive in. Whatever the reason, we will find new Strength when we do.
They go from strength to strength, till each appear before God in Zion. Psalm 84:7 (NIV)
In looking at this verse, I see a chain link fence. Fences have many purposes – to keep things in, or keep them out; protect what is within its boundaries; mark off territory, and proclaim to all what is within belongs to the owner of the fence. A chain link is unique in that it is not solid, nor a wall. However, it has the advantage of being linked together. The individual links are interwoven together and welded this way. The chain link is intentional.
The LORD is our Strength. (Habakkuk 3:19). By inserting His name in Psalm 84:7, we read;
They go from the LORD to the LORD, till each appear before God in Zion.
One never lets go in the chain link because the links are connected, therefore, by going from Jesus to Jesus, we never let Him go. We can confidently hold onto Him as we run down the fence line. Even if we are unsure, afraid, or wanting to stop, we need not worry about losing Him, our Strength, because we are holding onto Him.
He will lead us safely home to Zion, to God. The perfect place to be, rest, and climb into His lap and soak in Him. God is waiting and delights in spending time with us. Let us please Him by accepting His new Strength and trusting Him with our whole heart.
Father God, thank You for being my Strength and giving me new strength when I trust in You. I admit I am tired, but I know in You I am renewed, restored, and given a newness to keep going – may I walk confidently holding onto You and enjoying You in the process. In the Name of Your Son Jesus. AMEN
