You are Your Strength

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Psalms 73:26 NLT

In the  light of the new school messages that claim that everything has to work right when you are a Christian, passages like these are not popular. These days, we feed and thrive on messages that underline our new status as Christians, people who are free from everyday stress, regular trials and life-defining experiences.

Paul, a man used mightily by God in the new school of faith, lived a life of balance, because he knew God for who he is and what he could do. He wasn't following God because of a feel -good experience or the promise of a better physical life. Here is a man we quote a lot, when issues of provision, protection and vision cone up, yet we forget he wasn't always so strong. He had a 'thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment him', yet he stood by God, walked with him, worked for him, lived for him and died in him.

God does not settle for just our physical comfort; he wants us to have an all -round experience of who he is. When I know God for who he is, the experiences he brings my way will make sense. When nothing even seems to work, I am reminded that God is still there for me. In the extreme,  what if God decides not to heal, but to prove his power and might through the illness, would I let go? If God decides to 'keep quiet' over my struggles, can I trust his wisdom, knowledge and timing over my life?

The conclusion is just key: it does not matter what the NOW looks like; the eternal is fundamental. I must not lose sight of what is truly important, which is God's purpose and plan. He can use whatever means he pleases to work out his purpose, all I can do is to trust him. I confess that I may struggle sometimes, but I am learning to let go. I am learning that God's purpose is bigger, better and deeper than what my mind can fathom, so I just must let go and allow him do as he pleases. His time of favour is here.