In my journey of recovery, I have often asked for and given thanks for greater
health and strength. My biggest struggle
continues to be running out of strength and breath to move around to do
ordinary tasks of daily living.
Nevertheless, I still see progress when measured over months. Recently, for example, I was able for the
first time to take a shower, dry off and dry my hair without having to sit down
for a rest midway through the process!
Little wonder that one of the first things that come to my mind to thank the Lord for at the end of the day is the strength He has given me. This slow process has been teaching me a deeper lesson about “waiting on the Lord“, as the Scriptures so abundantly tell us to do. The familiar passage from Isaiah 40:29 and 31 expresses it so clearly and so beautifully: “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power…Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.”
Many are the times when I’ve wondered how I would be able to do all that I needed to do the next day. Yet, I recall no time when I’ve had to say, “I just can’t go on,” when the next day came. I’m reminded in times like those of the words that the Apostle Paul quotes the Lord as saying to him when he prayed for relief from his own “thorn in the flesh”. He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Then Paul goes on to say, “…I am well content with weaknesses…for when I am weak then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB)
That’s the paradox: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” As long as I am depending on my own strength, I will always be weak compared to God’s strength. But if, knowing my weakness, I am depending on the Lord’s strength, I truly am strong and He gets the glory for it. Could it be that the Lord knows that if my strength were back to normal I would fail to depend on Him?
During our worship service this past weekend we sang a song with words from Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield.” Suddenly, it was as if the Lord said to me, “Get it?” I’ve been thanking Him every day for the strength He has given, thanking Him for His blessings. I’ve been focusing on the blessings more than the Blesser. It’s not just that He gave me strength (the blessing), rather He Himself, living by His Spirit in me, IS my strength.
The more I think about it, I wonder how many other things I pray for or thank the Lord for when I should be thanking Him for being my strength, my health, my protector, my provider, or whatever it might be. What do you think? If you agree, let’s resolve to focus on the One who blesses rather than on His blessings.
Little wonder that one of the first things that come to my mind to thank the Lord for at the end of the day is the strength He has given me. This slow process has been teaching me a deeper lesson about “waiting on the Lord“, as the Scriptures so abundantly tell us to do. The familiar passage from Isaiah 40:29 and 31 expresses it so clearly and so beautifully: “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power…Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.”
Many are the times when I’ve wondered how I would be able to do all that I needed to do the next day. Yet, I recall no time when I’ve had to say, “I just can’t go on,” when the next day came. I’m reminded in times like those of the words that the Apostle Paul quotes the Lord as saying to him when he prayed for relief from his own “thorn in the flesh”. He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Then Paul goes on to say, “…I am well content with weaknesses…for when I am weak then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB)
That’s the paradox: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” As long as I am depending on my own strength, I will always be weak compared to God’s strength. But if, knowing my weakness, I am depending on the Lord’s strength, I truly am strong and He gets the glory for it. Could it be that the Lord knows that if my strength were back to normal I would fail to depend on Him?
During our worship service this past weekend we sang a song with words from Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield.” Suddenly, it was as if the Lord said to me, “Get it?” I’ve been thanking Him every day for the strength He has given, thanking Him for His blessings. I’ve been focusing on the blessings more than the Blesser. It’s not just that He gave me strength (the blessing), rather He Himself, living by His Spirit in me, IS my strength.
The more I think about it, I wonder how many other things I pray for or thank the Lord for when I should be thanking Him for being my strength, my health, my protector, my provider, or whatever it might be. What do you think? If you agree, let’s resolve to focus on the One who blesses rather than on His blessings.
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