God Our Strength
“Having done all to stand; stand therefore…” Ephesians 6:
At some point in our lives, we will all experience trials and problems. Jesus said that “In this world you will have tribulation” but He didn’t end there, He said, “But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”
We always have such hope in Jesus. No matter what circumstances we may be facing, whether big or small, Jesus is our victory.
One of my favourite attributes of God is His strength. Jesus is the best example of what strength looks like.
I work in a gym, and I see a lot of physically active people. They have the big muscles; they have the protein powder, creatine powder, and all the supplements. However, I’ve learned that even though a person may be strong physically that doesn’t mean they’re a strong person.
Strength is the ability to stand against pressure; it’s the ability to keep walking even when the circumstances seem to be wearing them down. It’s the refusal to quit even when everything around you is telling you to give up.
This type of strength does not come naturally. There is only one place to get it, and that is Jesus. When I think of Jesus, I think of strength. When He was on the earth, He faced more pressure than any of us ever have. The Bible says that when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane right before he was to be crucified, He was under such pressure that He was sweating blood.
Here is Jesus about to be slapped, spat on, whipped, ridiculed, humiliated, and nailed to a tree, and about to go to hell for the sake of humanity. He had a choice in the matter; No one forced Him. Jesus could have called on the angels to rescue Him. He could’ve said “No.” He could’ve walked away.
But at that moment, even when blood was pouring down His face, He said, “Not My will, but Your will be done.”
That is what I call strength. The ability to stand against the pressure. The ability to endure and go all the way to the end and finish the fight.
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
You know what gave Jesus the strength to endure the most intense pressure that any human would ever face?
Joy.
Jesus saw something on the other side of that cross; He saw something that made everything He was about to go through worth it. You know what He saw? He saw you and me. He saw His church and all of the millions and millions of people who would one day say, “Jesus is my Lord.” That’s what gave Him strength. He didn’t look at the situation that was before Him. He was looking at the result.
As believers, we are to follow His example of strength.
When we are facing trials and problems, we don’t have to walk around defeated, worried and stressed out. We have access to God’s strength on the inside of us. His power gives us the ability to look at any situation and see hope.
So many people walk around in despair, convinced that they are stuck in a situation, and nothing will ever change.
As believers, we have a God who always causes us to triumph! We have hope, something that causes us to look forward. We have the Word of God that is full of promises that we can stand on.
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
We don’t have to be strong in ourselves, but instead, we are to rely on the strength of God. Instead of walking around talking about how sick we feel, or how stressed and tired we are, instead, we should talk about the strength of God and rely on it in our lives.
I would encourage you to speak Ephesians 6:10 on a daily basis, "I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." As you speak that, I believe you will notice His strength empower you, quickening you as you go through life.
Written by Chloe Entz
