Finding Strength in the Lord

~Daniel Swaim

Someone once asked me how I find strength in the Lord. I gave them one key way I somehow (by God's grace alone) find strength in the Lord through hard and painful moments and trials. But really, there are more ways we can all find strength in God, and that's what I wanted to discuss today. Right off the bat, though, I want to clear something up. At least from my experience, trusting in God or finding strength in Him does not mean it'll be easy the rest of the way. God does not give enough strength to make the circumstance a breeze or the mountain a flat path, but He does give just the right amount to help us keep trusting Him and holding fast to His promises. To bear the flame. 

Below are some (not all) ways I have found strength in Him:

1. By humbling ourselves and praying to Him (key verses: 1 Peter 5:6-7 & Hebrews 4:14-16). I cannot tell you enough how vital prayer is for the believer. No exceptions. Having a wonderfully blessed life with no sorrow? Pray the Lord keeps you humble and protects you against the wiles of the devil and enter His courts with thanksgiving. Struggling through life, lost loved ones, or going through fiery trials? Pray the Lord will strengthen you and help you to trust Him in it all and that the devil's clever tool of discouragement or some other wile doesn't overcome you. Throughout the Bible, we are urged to pray, making intercession for others, with thanksgiving and praise, and for our own spiritual needs. You can bring any request before Him, whether it's money you need, food, spiritual encouragement, strength, etc. Anything asked in the name of the Lord and in accordance to His will will be answered. But it takes humility to admit you can’t do it on your own and you need the Lord. As human beings, we are prone to pride and we tend to think that we can handle our troubles. The reality often is that we aren’t strong enough to make it through the fires we experience. But if we bow before Him and ask Him for strength, He will stoop down and answer. The Lord will hear from heaven and stretch His righteous right hand to scoop you up in His palm and uphold you.

Every time I am in an overwhelming situation, my escape is prayer. I'm not perfect at it, but I have learned that when I cast my anxieties on Him, the Lord hears and answers. I want to bring out the promise in Hebrews 4, if we come before the source of grace, the throne, where the Lord sits in control of everything, the Lord will give us enough grace and mercy for the time of need we are in. He's delivered that promise to me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. HE DOES NOT FAIL. He. Never. Leaves. He always cares and wants you to come to Him in your need and even when you aren't in need. Praise God!

2. By getting in the Word of God (key verses: Psalm 119:11 & Matthew 4:1-11). The Bible is full of truths and promises that both point us to Jesus Christ and to the strength we can find in Him. In Psalm 119, we are told that if we want help with overcoming sin, hiding God's Word in your heart (by memorizing it, applying it your life, and just LIVING in the Word through studies and meditations) is one of the best weapons to use. If we can recall Scripture when we are in situations where we may sin, it can give us strength to abstain from it. We can remember Christ's words in the Gospels, for example, and the peace He calls us to. Certainly you have powerful and practical Scripture throughout the Word of Truth, but Jesus Himself gives words of encouragement to be at peace and to be strong during persecution or trials. I mention this because He speaks these words directly to His disciples, and often it feels as if the words jump off the page and its like Jesus is speaking to you.

Matthew 4 in particular puts Psalm 119:11 into practice. In Matthew 4, Jesus is tested by undergoing temptations from the devil. You can make the argument that it's the Lord, so He's much stronger than me, except that not only was He in a mortal body susceptible to the same temptations as we face as Hebrews 4 brings out (but without sin), but He suffered greater things in His life than we will ever face or ever could face. In Matthew 4, the devil tempts Jesus in many ways, and for each one, He uses the Word of God against Satan’s attacks. The Word is the Sword of the Spirit as Ephesians 6 says, and Hebrews 11 tells us it's living and powerful, sharper than double-bladed swords. And when used against Satan, he stands no change at all. NONE. Scripture is effective if you can recall the exact verses you need when you need them. In another passage, we are promised that the Holy Spirit will help bring them to mind, but that can only happen if we actually know the Word! The Word of God is also a great encouragement. If you are struggling with anything, GET IN THE WORD. Have you ever had those moments where you are really discouraged, sad, or struggling some other way, and you open up the Bible to a random passage and it turns out to be EXACTLY what you needed? I know from experience, it's an AMAZING feeling. It warms the heart. Even through tears, it brings you a smile and gets you to just praising the Lord. Feelings aside, the passage the Spirit leads you to speaks to your soul, bringing encouragement directly from God. And even without dramatic moments or the feelings of the Spirit’s work, if the Lord brings you to a passage of His Word, via memory or by the opening of the Bible, it will speak comfort to you.

3. By finding fellowship and encouragement among believers (key verse: Hebrews 10:19-25). This passage in Hebrews is just amazing. I mean, come on, what great encouragement to hold fast to the faith. It gives many reasons why we should: we are new living creation, consecrated by the Lord, we have a High Priest who helps us, and all of that. But our golden verse is verse 25, where it encourages us to never abandon fellowship with other believers for encouragement and exhortation, and to do so even more as the days grow more evil and the return of the Lord approaches. I don't know about you all, but there is just something SO amazing about spending time with other saints. Especially when we discuss the Bible and Christ, it just brings a special warmth to your heart no matter what age the other person or people are. I can say for myself that some of my very best and closest friends that I made through Bible Bee have encouraged me and spurred me on in the faith. I would not be who I am today without them. And I know the Lord was working behind the scenes with that, placing them at the right time in my life and orchestrating their encouragements to perfectly fit the struggles I've faced. And on the flip side, I’ve been able to encourage them and be with them through the various fires they’ve faced. Friends, DO NOT FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLY OF OURSELVES AS SOME DO. Enjoy fellowship with friends or people from church, receive their exhortations, and also encourage them!

Finding strength in the Lord can be challenging, but if you truly seek Him with a whole and pure heart and ask Him for help and guidance, He will give you the grace and humility to rest in His strength.