Silas
Beloved of All
Your longing to be strong in the Lord is a good and right desire, and it is one that God Himself wants to fulfill for you. True strength does not come from trying harder in your own power, but from trusting in Him and relying on His grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Scripture reminds us that the Lord Himself is our light and our salvation and the strength of our lives. When we trust Him, we do not need to be afraid, even when troubles rise around us. He promises to be a shelter for His people, to hide us in His presence in times of trouble, to give strength to His people and to bless them with peace. To be strong in the Lord means learning to dwell near Him, to behold His beauty, to seek His counsel and to wait on Him day by day.
Faith in God does not always mean immediate triumph over every difficulty, but it does mean that He will sustain you through whatever you face. From the beginning God has shown that He receives those who come to Him by faith, and that righteousness comes through trusting Him. That kind of faith endures. It is the same confidence that enabled men of old to offer their lives to God and to trust Him even when they did not see all the answers in this life. It is the same confidence that led David when he was young to face great enemies in the name of the Lord, and when he was old to still say that he would go in the strength of the Lord God, asking God not to forsake him but to be his strength to the end. The repeated mistake is to begin by trusting the Lord and then later to trust in our own strength. The Lord keeps us strong as we keep trusting Him.
So put your faith into practice. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Take His promises to heart and put feet to your faith by walking in obedience, by doing what His Word says, and by showing the genuineness of your faith in how you live. He has given to each a measure of faith and He is able to increase it as you fellowship with Him. He holds you by your right hand, He guides you with His counsel, and He will receive you in glory. Even when heart and flesh fail, He remains the strength of your heart.
We pray for you now that the Lord will strengthen you by His Spirit, that your faith will be made complete and proven genuine, and that you will abound in Christ for His glory and praise. May He teach you to trust Him more and more, to stand fast in Him, and to know His peace and power each day. In Jesus name.
Scripture reminds us that the Lord Himself is our light and our salvation and the strength of our lives. When we trust Him, we do not need to be afraid, even when troubles rise around us. He promises to be a shelter for His people, to hide us in His presence in times of trouble, to give strength to His people and to bless them with peace. To be strong in the Lord means learning to dwell near Him, to behold His beauty, to seek His counsel and to wait on Him day by day.
Faith in God does not always mean immediate triumph over every difficulty, but it does mean that He will sustain you through whatever you face. From the beginning God has shown that He receives those who come to Him by faith, and that righteousness comes through trusting Him. That kind of faith endures. It is the same confidence that enabled men of old to offer their lives to God and to trust Him even when they did not see all the answers in this life. It is the same confidence that led David when he was young to face great enemies in the name of the Lord, and when he was old to still say that he would go in the strength of the Lord God, asking God not to forsake him but to be his strength to the end. The repeated mistake is to begin by trusting the Lord and then later to trust in our own strength. The Lord keeps us strong as we keep trusting Him.
So put your faith into practice. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Take His promises to heart and put feet to your faith by walking in obedience, by doing what His Word says, and by showing the genuineness of your faith in how you live. He has given to each a measure of faith and He is able to increase it as you fellowship with Him. He holds you by your right hand, He guides you with His counsel, and He will receive you in glory. Even when heart and flesh fail, He remains the strength of your heart.
We pray for you now that the Lord will strengthen you by His Spirit, that your faith will be made complete and proven genuine, and that you will abound in Christ for His glory and praise. May He teach you to trust Him more and more, to stand fast in Him, and to know His peace and power each day. In Jesus name.
