marathon not a sprint

In my weakness, You –  Oh Lord, are strong!

I seem to be saying that a lot lately.   In the beginning I thought I was just overly tired and exhaustion was directing me to God for strength.  Now I realize that it is my total dependence on Him that reveals to me  my weakness and the very need for His strength.

Psalm 138:3  As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.

When I pray, I come to God in faith that He hears me and He does.  Sometimes I don’t get the answer that I was looking for.  Sometimes the answer has nothing to do with the problem and everything to do with who God is molding me to be.

Sometimes He calms the storm but always, yes always He calms me.  This is not something to be rushed.  The older generation used to call it ‘tarrying in the Lord’s presence”  — there are times that I need to  wait in God’s presence – to allow God to speak to my heart.   How sad that some try to treat God like He is a vending machine or a drive up window.

 Romans 15:5  May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.

2 Thess 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

I love it when God uses people to bring about encouragement.  My desire is that I would be a Barnabas (some one who encourages) to those around me.  Yet sometimes there is no one around to offer that word of encouragement.  Then what?

I pray to the One who is always with me.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

God takes great delight in us.  That statement really messes with those people who think that God is far off or someone just waiting to punish us when we do something wrong.  How sad.

God is for us!

What a word picture.  The God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of Life rejoicing over you and me with singing.   Wow!! Thanks God!!

The longer I am in this journey called life, the more I realize it is a marathon and not a sprint.  I want to finish strong.   I can’t do that on my own which brings me back to to the beginning – in my weakness He is strong.

til next time