Thursday, April 1, 2010

Strength Training

What makes you stronger? Resistance. Consistently exerting yourself with force or pressure against resistance develops your strength. Weightlifters and bodybuilders maintain a daily regimen of alternating forms of resistance, targeting specific muscle groups daily.
What an incredible message to everyone who is stressed or going through a trial. You will find strength in your struggle!

Okay, okay, okay… I know. Sounds so “cliché” doesn’t it? You’ve heard ’em all… “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, etcetera; etcetera; etcetera. There is a lot of truth there, but not something you haven’t heard before; not something that can really help you dig out of the seemingly bottomless pit of despair, distress, and depression. So, let me share something that is new to me that may help us with our strength problem.

An often quoted passage of scripture found in Nehemiah 8:10 ends in these familiar words “… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I have always interpreted this to mean joy that comes from the Lordthe joy that you have in serving the Lord… or the joy that you receive via a “God” atmosphere… I think all of these are true statements… Consider this point however… What is the joy of the Lord? What makes God happy?

Luke 15:7 describes a state of joy in heaven whenever one lost sinner repents! Verse 10 re-emphasizes this statement, saying there is joy in the presence of the angels of God. Incredibly this joy is over just one lost soul. The God of all creation; the source of all life, is thrilled at the thought of just one soul turning away from sin. This is the Joy of the Lord! The ramifications of this truth being, when you do what makes God happy, you become stronger!

Pleasing God is a powerful concept. Consider that Enoch was taken from this world; literally removed! The word Hebrews Chapter 11 uses was translated. And this would happen so that he would not see death. Why? Before his translation he pleased God. He pleased God and God took him!

Ponder for a moment the last words Jesus said before leaving this earth. You’ll find them in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:18 Go… Teach. Baptize. Be Witnesses unto me. His last words express his first purpose for us in the church.

When we as individuals involve ourselves in helping others to find God we please him. (We are ambassadors... II Corinthians 5:20) When we take time to contribute to the restoration of a soul we are participating in an act that ultimately brings God Joy. That in turn gives us strength. When was the last time you saw someone who was an active soul-winner walk away from God? Rarely, if ever.

Need Strength? Get involved in HIS work. Be a witness. Love souls. Their salvation is HIS joy. HIS joy is our strength.

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