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You Make Me Strong, Lord
Andrea Lende • May 10, 2021
Matthew 26:45
You Make Me Strong, Lord
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/You-Make-Me-Strong--Lord-e10l6tc
Matthew 26:45
“Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of especially wicked sinners [whose way or nature it is to act in opposition to God].”
Jesus was given to people who were in opposition to the Lord.
Handed over to sinners.
The Messiah, Who, would take away the sins of the multitudes still had to face the bad guys.
They were given short-term power to overpower Him in order to fulfill God’s will.
This passage made me consider something different than I’d seen before.
Sometimes I have the feeling, why me Lord?
Why did this thing happen to me?
Jesus was not spared from the wrath of sinners.
And we will not be spared either during this thing called life.
Of course, we know Jesus’ purpose was to be slain to save all of us.
But maybe our suffering serves a purpose too.
Jesus gave us some actionable steps we can take before the wrath comes our way.
First, He took His disciples to a quiet place.
Then, He took His best three men to pray with Him.
He prayed the Lord would rescue Him.
Ultimately, He prayed God’s will be done even if it meant His demise.
Lastly, He checked on His three prayer partners multiple times and told them to pray against temptation.
We can use this information to direct us in our own lives.
We need to stay prayed up.
We need to pray in the peaceful times, so we have the strength to withstand the trials when they come.
We need to ask our best circle of prayer warriors to pray with us.
Jesus was able to submit to the authority of the evil doers because of His connectedness to the Lord.
If we stay prayed up, we too, can do all the Lord has called us to do even if it requires short-term suffering to accomplish His will.
Today I choose to be in prayer and be strengthen by the Lord, so I can withstand the advances of the enemy.
May you find you are strengthened by God Almighty as you pray and include your strong circle of prayer partners to pray with you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that just as Your Son was subjected to sinners and their evil ways, we will be as well. Thank You for giving us actionable steps to take so we may remain steady and unwavering during times of trial. Help me remember You strengthen me when I sit in Your presence. Help me carve out time to sit in Your presence and worship You every day. Help me bring in a circle of prayer warriors to pray with me in difficult times. Keep me from temptation and guard me from the enemy. Help me remember who I am in You. As the chaos ensues around me, keep me at Your feet and make me strong. You make me strong, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I AM in your midst. The enemy has no hold over you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and All-Powerful Lord.
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.