Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever wondered what it means to find your strength in the Lord? Well, this is a question that I wrestled with for so long in my life. I remember growing up, and anytime I felt weak, I would go to somebody at my church or my parents or my friends, and I would be reminded that the Lord is my strength.
As kids, we would sing the song: "We are weak, but He is strong."
If you are looking to find strength in the Lord, I want you to be encouraged by our verse for today.
It comes from Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10. Paul writes, "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."
A Runner's High
Have you ever heard of the idea of a runner's high? I worked with a guy who was an avid runner, and he would always talk about this concept. That as he was going on these long distance runs, he would feel his body start to get weak. But if he continued to push through, if he could get his mind into the right place, he would separate himself from that pain, and he would enter into this newfound joy in the second part of his run.
It would allow him to keep going.
How I Treated Finding Strength in the Lord
While I'm not a runner, I can understand this concept because for so long, this is how I treated trying to find strength in the Lord. As I would face all of these challenges in life, I would find myself growing weak and weary and tired, and then I would be hit with this encouragement to find my strength in the Lord.
I would remind myself: God is my strength. He's my refuge. He's my strong tower. I just need to lean into Him.
The problem was that I didn't actually know what that meant. I was just hoping for this runner's high—the spiritual high where all of a sudden my spirits would lift and I wouldn't feel the pain anymore, and I could just continue to run the race and do it with joy.
Understanding Spiritual Strength
As I was reading our verse for today, I was thinking about that idea again. Do I understand what it really means to find strength in the Lord?
Well, when I read a verse like this, I'm always reminded of the importance of reading it in the context of what the author was saying. See, Paul doesn't just say, "Find your strength in the Lord. Good luck. Take it from here. I'm out." He actually continues to explain what that looks like to the church.
Let's read a little bit more in Ephesians. Paul says in verse 10 through verse 13:
"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we're not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you'll be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil."
Spiritual Strength Requires Understanding and Practice
Spiritual strength is not something that we just stumble into. It's not something that just magically happens.
Spiritual strength requires us to understand first and foremost that yes, it comes from the Lord and His Spirit, but beyond that, it comes through His Spirit working in us and through us. God has given us ways that we can help facilitate that work.
He gives us spiritual disciplines that we can lean into: reading the Bible, finding encouragement in the truths of God, leaning into prayer, making our requests known to God, having those conversations with Him, putting on the whole armor of God, finding peace in the Lord, holding firmly to our faith, bringing the message of good news everywhere we go, carrying the sword of God's Word, fighting back against the enemy.
Building Spiritual Endurance
These are the sorts of things that when we take the time to lean into them, we're starting to build strength.
For my friend, the runner's high wasn't what got him from running one mile to ten miles. What got him from one mile to ten miles was waking up every day, running a half mile, running three quarters of a mile, working up to one mile, to two miles, to three miles, to four miles. In that, he built endurance.
Through that dedication and devotion and discipline, he was able to unlock new amounts of strength. That's what God calls us to.
Endurance Through Daily Discipline
Endurance comes through pressing in daily, and in these moments of discipline, we find ourselves growing stronger and stronger.
Maybe you hear this and you go, but you don't understand. I am so weak. I'm so tired, and you're just asking me to do more.
My encouragement to you is to just start by taking one small step. Just put one thing into practice, and then tomorrow do two, and then the next day do three, and take note of how different you feel. Take note of how your spirit feels better, of how you're naturally now turning to the Lord in your moments of weakness.
We Have the Spirit of God
We have the Spirit of God, and God has given us so many ways to ask Him to work in our lives.
Lean into that so that no matter what hits you in this life, you have confidence that you can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
