Psalm 18:31-41
English Standard Version (ESV)
31 For (A)who is God, but the Lord?
And who is (B)a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who (C)equipped me with strength
and made my way (D)blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a (E)deer
and set me secure on (F)the heights.
34 He (G)trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand (H)supported me,
and your (I)gentleness made me great.
36 You (J)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies (K)turn their backs to me,[a]
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 (L)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
And who is (B)a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who (C)equipped me with strength
and made my way (D)blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a (E)deer
and set me secure on (F)the heights.
34 He (G)trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand (H)supported me,
and your (I)gentleness made me great.
36 You (J)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies (K)turn their backs to me,[a]
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 (L)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
Philippians 4:12-13
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In
any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and (A)hunger, abundance and (B)need. 13 I can do all things (C)through him who strengthens me.
There is no doubt that David
recognized where his strength came from and the same is true for Paul. Both had times in their lives when they
enjoyed success and both had times in their lives when they had many enemies. Both, however, recognized that their strength
was not from their own power but from the power of the Lord. Neither of them blamed God for their troubles
but rather sought Him for their deliverance.
They knew that all things came from God and that God was in control;
because of their faith they were strengthened.
I have to ask myself if I blame
God or if I celebrate His mighty power.
Do I celebrate the deliverance He has given me or do I complain about
the situation I am in? Too often times I
find myself complaining rather than celebrating. It is easy for me to say that God gives me strength
and I even pray for that strength before I get out of bed. However, at times I find myself complaining
about my difficulties forgetting that God will deliver me from them in His
timing. He is the One in control and He
will give me the strength that it takes in whatever situation I find
myself. For those who follow Christ, He
will do that for you too. So we should
not fret rather celebrate His power and watch Him be at work through us.
As you seek Him today, celebrate
who He is, celebrate who He has made you, celebrate that He gives you strength
in times of troubles and in times of triumph celebrate that it comes only
because of Him.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
No comments:
Post a Comment