Beginnings: Your New Strength
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20:7 (ESV)
Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know Me and understand that I am the Lord Who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the Earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT)
Strength is a dangerous misconception. Compared to other men, we may be strong. Compared to God, we’re merely puffs of air.
Know this: Our Almighty Lord HATES bragging. When we stand on the temptation of pride, we begin to lose spiritual strength. Inevitably, we’re going to fall, because God clearly ‘Opposes the proud' (James 4:6).
Ponder this thought, too: Everything we see in the physical will soon conform to the spiritual, since the physical is temporary, but the spiritual is eternal.
'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away' (Matthew 24:35).
Therein, for obedient believers, God's Word is like having a “buff body” supporting our kind, radiant faces.
'We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same Image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit' (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Continue to avoid the beast of pride (which seems to give strength, but only saps it.)
NOTE: You can’t “tame” the beast. Only Jesus can, and He WILL when we reach the end of days. But you can, speaking the Word, in God’s strength, push Satan’s team back, again and again.
Continue to nurture a humble heart, and God will continue to strengthen you, but consider four steps of agreement:
Trust God, especially in your weakness. Even so, ‘Let the weak say I am strong’ (Joel 3:10), ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Speak the Word to Satan, LIKE JESUS did, at the end of His wilderness trials: ‘It is written…’ (Matthew 4:4). ‘Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7).
Work your field and be content with small jobs. ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much’ (Luke 16:10). ‘Work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men’ (Colossians 3:23)
Wait on God. Your big break WILL COME (in His time). ‘For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’ (Colossians 3:23)
So, as you mount up with wings like eagles onto the airwaves of media, SMILE. 'The prince of the power of the air' (Ephesians 2:2) can't stop your rise, because God ordained it.
NOTE:
For the strength to maintain your altitude, stomp your feet on every proud attitude!
Beginnings: Your New Strength (Part 21)
* Joel 3:9-10: Bible Gateway passage: Joel 3:9-10 - New King James Version
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!