Strength

Isaiah 12:2 - See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.

In some of the worst crises I've faced in my life, I would've told you at that moment that I was not strong. In fact, most of the time you'd find me in a heap on the floor, praying for strength between sobs.

But I've found it interesting over the years, as I've pondered what it means when the Lord says He is our strength, that I was much stronger than I gave myself credit for. And in fact, I actually came through much of it unscathed, even though my tear ducts got a good workout.

Strength, of course, comes in many forms. And it's different for every person. But there is one thing I am certain of: when God tells us He's our strength, we often look in the wrong place to identify that strength. We look through human eyes. We try to be strong in and of ourselves.

But God's strength is different and it often looks different than our perceptions of strength. It usually starts from the center of our being, our soul, where no one can see but God. We may look utterly pathetic on the outside, but there's something that's stirring inside of us, telling us there is hope, that things are working for our good, that He has a plan we can't see but we can trust.

If we're going to go by feelings, which is how most of us navigate anyway, I "feel" the strongest when I'm in God's word, especially when I'm reading it out loud over a situation. I believe Him when He says His word never returns void. I believe Him that His word is mighty and strong. I believe Him when He says He's able to do more than we can hope for or ask.

And that belief is strength. It's not bulging and ripped, like it's on steroids. It's quiet and resolved, waiting on Someone bigger than ourselves. It's trust in the dark.

Pray for strength and you will find it through Jesus, sometimes in the most unexpected and quiet ways.