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How Do We Stay Strong?
Andrea Lende • May 9, 2021
Hebrews 12:3
How Do We Stay Strong?
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/How-Do-We-Stay-Strong-e10h9k8
Hebrews 12:3
“Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.”
God is speaking to my heart here.
It’s been a difficult week.
The kind that cuts one to the core.
So, I needed to read this verse and be reminded to keep going.
Keep being diligent.
Diligence is hard when things turn upside down.
I usually want to run and hide for a while until I feel better.
However, the Word tells us not to relax.
It tells us not to faint in our own minds.
It tells us to try to feel what Jesus must have felt like as He was being condemned by the chief priests and Pharisees.
To think about the hatred the people felt towards Him, their Maker.
These were His people.
The chosen ones.
And yet, they did not recognize Him as their Messiah.
Not only did they not see Him for Who He was, they treated Him as a criminal because of their jealousy.
They wanted Him destroyed.
The Lord, our Intercessor, and our Savior was destroyed at the hands of His chosen people.
The betrayal must have felt unbearable.
Still, He walked boldly to the cross.
He did not waiver for a second.
Our verse says, think on these things when our circumstances seem unbearable.
I believe it guides us to true humility and reminds us of our purpose to worship God.
We must forge on in good faith even in the face of adversity, failure, and pain.
We can only do this with the help of the Holy Spirit.
With God’s Spirit living inside us, we have the power to overcome.
Today I choose to remember the Savior and pray for the strength to stay diligent in His work and not allow the difficulties of this world to yield me useless.
May you find as you remember the Savior’s sacrifice, you will be strengthened by Him and the Holy Spirit to remain strong in this race.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to keep going. Thank You for reminding me to stay strong in the face of adversity. And thank You for showing me how. Keep my mind on Your Son and all He had to overcome to save me from my sins. Help me remember how He was mistreated and the hostility He faced while He saved our souls. Help me remember His tremendous sacrifice for me and keep my heart humble for Your use, Father. Strengthen my mind and heart, so I can remain strong in You. Do not let my difficulties or pain distract me from Your will for my life. Help me see past my own self, so I can serve You. Thank You for all You do for me and all You are. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and will strengthen you and hold you close to Me during the storm.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.