How Can I Find Strength To Carry On?

What can you do when you feel too tired of the struggle to go on?  What can you do when you can't find strength for another day?

When you can't find strength, consider the words of the ancient prophet,
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:29.

HE GIVES
We look for strength in many places, such as friendship, stoicism, education, and self-will, but there is one place where we are sure to find it. God can give you strength. God is willing and He not one to give up. He will be there to give you strength when you come to him.

God gives strength freely; we do not have to buy or earn it- just ask.

He gives strength to the weary,
Isaiah 40:29

STRENGTH
The strength that God gives is the strength of faith and of spirit, and we can receive his strength for our weakness when we come to him in faith.

TO THE WEARY
Sometimes, it is good to be tired and weary. When we are aware of our need, we can ask for help. If we are prideful, we may be weary but no better off because we refuse to be humble and ask for God's grace.

We may grow weary of waiting for God to answer our prayers and bring deliverance by conquering our problems, but strength and power to endure through them may be the best answer to those prayers.

POWER
God can give what we need and more; he is willing to give not only strength but also power.

Strength is not enough if you can't act, but power is the strength that moves with direction and purpose. Power is strength under control.

WEAK
Our faith can make us strong in our weaknesses. The apostle experienced this and said, "When I am weak, then am I strong." This testimony shows the power of God working through him in the situation, 2 Corinthians 12:10.

Though we are weak and faint, we may find power and strength not in ourselves but in God when we look to him to supply it. It may not be the power to overcome trials but to thrive in them.

If you do not have a relationship with God, then visit my other blog. 

(c)Adron Dozat 12/28/14

Where to get power to do good. Philippians 2:13

We want to do good things but can't; the power is not in us. We have had a little success at self-reform but will soon slip back. Or we come to faith in God and still can't seem to live a life of good actions. Our desires are all bent on doing selfish and shallow things.

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13, NIV.

GOD
Good is good, and all good begins in Him. Our nature is weak and seems bent on wrong, so we can't rely on ourselves. We can't do good apart from God, so we have to rely on God. If we have come to God in faith, then He is with us and partners with us in our lives as we partner with Him in His kingdom. By faith, God becomes the source in our lives that enables us to do good.

WORK
God has a purpose in our lives, and He is working in us to bring it about. For this verse to say, "He is working in us," suggests He is active in our lives. It suggests He has a purpose in this work in us. Work suggests progress is made and construction is on the way. Work is sometimes hard, uncomfortable, and inconvenient, yet it should reassure us that God is working in us.

IN US
His work is not just to build up a nice, cozy lifestyle; He is working inside of us, in our minds, and hearts, to make something new. He is changing or renovating us. He has a process that will change the very nature of who we are.

OUR WILL
God is changing our desires. He is trying to make us less selfish and more generous, less angry, and more peaceful, less haughty, and more humble and He is doing many other things in our lives. The biggest thing He is doing is to give us a willingness to do good,  He is working in our hearts to have a willingness and a willfulness to do good.

ACT
Our actions follow our thoughts. When our wills are given to God, our acts will be given to Him also. Good intentions are nice, but it is the acts that demonstrate the power of God in our lives.

HIS GOOD PLEASURE
In each of our lives, God has a good purpose and a plan that he is fulfilling within us for our good. We can be confident and rejoice in His work in our lives.

To learn more about having God in your life see my other blog, follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/5/13

What Is The Key To Solving Problems? Zechariah 4: 6

What does the Bible say about solving personal problems? We all have problems such as debts, woes, worries, and fears. We try different things like education, money, bigger guns, or a louder voice, but nothing works.

"So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, 'Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.'" Zechariah 4: 6, NIV.  (Link to See other Translations).

The quote above is from the vision of the Prophet Zechariah, in which he is given a message for the governor of Jerusalem to not lose heart in rebuilding the destroyed temple. It was an awesome and overwhelming project, opposed by the enemies of Israel and discouraging since it had been languishing for forty years.

THE WORD OF THE LORD
The word may not seem like much to go on. We would rather trust in might and power, but the word of God is trustworthy. God always keeps his word and never breaks a promise. The prophet's statement implies that the Word of the Lord is not only instruction but also God's promise. It is an echo of the Genesis account, where God performed acts of creation by speaking the universe into existence.

MIGHT AND POWER
As Governor Zerubbabel would have understood, might and power were essential to ruling a city or nation. We seek our own might and power; we look for the strongest, smartest, and most advanced thing to solve our problems. God has a different way he wants us to allow his Spirit.

MY SPIRIT
God's Spirit is not something we cannot see or feel. We turn from what we can do to fix our problem to faith in God. His Spirit is not a force or positive influence, but God speaks here of his personal divine self. "My Spirit" is God saying he is the one, not us, so we must do away with our efforts and allow God to build.

SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY
We need to remember the source—this is the word spoken by the Lord Almighty, the all-powerful, all-controlling, all-loving, all-knowing creator and sustainer of the universe who holds every molecule together. He is not random but deliberate in his actions and has a loving plan.

The building's completion was a guarantee. Zerubbabel needed to believe God and trust in his word, for God said it would happen. For our problems, we need to remember that God gives us many promises in His Word, the Bible. We need to trust God, believe his Word, and allow his Spirit to work.

© Adron 11/20/12

Overcoming a Spirit of Fear, 2 Timothy 1:7

Is there a method to overcome fear? The Bible suggests there is but it is not a program it is a person.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7.

THE SPIRIT
God gives the believer His Holy Spirit for many reasons, listed here are just a few; courage, strength, and love. The Bible assumes that these qualities are the normal experience of all believers.

We cannot earn or deserve the gifts of the Spirit but we are given them freely.

LOVE
Love is a strange addition to the list when the question is timidity; power makes sense but not love. The Spirit of love sets us above fearing other men. Love forces us to overcome our fear. To love means that fear must be conquered, and love must motivate us to go ahead in spite of our fear.

SOUND MIND
The spirit of a sound mind gives us clear thought. We can imagine the worst case scenario and create a reason to be afraid when one does not exist. The spirit of a sound mind will deliver us from falling for our own self-deception and the lies of evil. A sound mind keeps our thoughts from running out of control.

FAITH
This Spirit of power is not just the opposite of timidity it is the unmaking of fear. The Spirit of power should free us and give us boldness, authority, control, command and even clout.

By faith we recognize and rest in the truth that those who have trusted Jesus to be their Savior have already been given the spirit of courage, love, and a sound mind. When we are tempted to give into timidity we need to claim the power of the Holy Spirit and act in faith with courage. Do not forget that, "The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us. He helps us to not be afraid of people. He helps us to be wise and strong, and to love other people." 2 Timothy 1:7 Paraphrased.

(c)Adron Dozat

The Glorious Weakness of Human Effort. 2 Corinthians 12:9. NIV

There is much in life we can do nothing about. We have scores of personal weaknesses. If only we were some superhero with immense strength and super intelligence. But we are just ordinary people, with problems we can’t fix.

“But he said to me, 'my grace is sufficient to you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. NIV.

If anyone could have expected the Almighty to lift their burden, it should have been Paul the great Apostle. He struggled with an illness he termed the “thorn in the flesh,” (2 Corinthians 12:7). This great man of faith whose service to God is unparalleled sought The Lord in prayer for deliverance on multiple occasions. Instead of healing,g Paul was given the promised blessing that God’s grace will suffice.

Today’s faith community has many definitions of grace. Some say grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” Many sing that we are saved by Amazing Grace. Others define grace as synonymous with mercy, favor, or dignity.

This verse tells that grace:

• Comes from God
• Is sufficient
• Is for me
• Has power
• Is perfect in my weakness.

There is the grace that leads to salvation, where Gog comes into our lives; but this is the grace of God being in our lives, it is an experience of God. This grace is intimate and personal to those of us who call out to God.

God’s power was already perfect, but it is in our weaknesses He shows His perfect power. Often we don’t look to Him until we are faced with our own weakness; then we seek Him and our weakness becomes the vehicle that God uses to manifest His power. If I had never known weakness, then I would never value God’s strength and power. Paul, through his weakness, experienced the power of Christ in a way that even the Apostle would never have known otherwise. His weakness became something to celebrate.

We all have some weakness. Like Paul, we who can’t help ourselves must look to Him Who Can. Paul’s prayer for deliverance was answered not with healing but with “promise perspective,” that God's grace would be enough. Our prayers for victory over our struggles may not result in more strength but in more of God in our lives. Cry out to God about your weakness; thankfully ask the Lord for His abundant grace, keep it up until you can celebrate His power in your life.

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(c) Adron 3/4/10

Where To Find Help When Your Problems Are Bigger Than Anything, Jeremiah 32:18

Many feel their problems are so big and their need is so great that nothing can be done and no one can help, but one person can.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17, NIV.

TOO BASIC
As kids we learned that nothing is too hard for God, and we say these words, but we forget them in truth because we live as if God is too weak and too small to do anything.

SOVEREIGN LORD
A sovereign is a king and a lord is a ruler; we are reminded He is the King Ruler or Supreme Monarch- the irresistible as ruler of the universe. Since he is  Lord and King of all his commands to the natural and supernatural are immediately and utterly obeyed.

POWER
God can’t be resisted since He is also the Creator, as maker God has power and command over all things. Logically if He made it He can fix it, alter it or unmake it. The phrase "Heavens and the earth" covers all creation, nothing is outside of these realms. No other force can invade and challenge his authority.

OUTSTRETCHED ARM
God is more powerful than what He creates. Not only does He creates but does it by "great power and an outstretched arm" Not just power- but great power. Many times we attribute strength to a man’s arm. It is a picture of strength in action. It shows He willing to use this power and act.

THINK ABOUT IT
Who would oppose such a God? In light of whom He is, Sovereign Lord, Creator, Possessor of power, and the manifestation of strength, the prophet Jeremiah exclaims "Nothing is too hard for you," Nothing is outside His rule, as Sovereign Lord. Nothing is outside His creation. Nothing is greater than His power. Nothing can resist His outstretched arm. Having considered who God is we must say, "Nothing is too hard for you."

• NO matter what your difficulty God is supreme and has the authority to overcome it.
• NO matter what your trial God is the Creator and He can control all creation.
• NO matter what your problem God is more powerful.
• NO matter what your worry God is willing to stretch out His strong arm.

LIMITING GOD
The only limits to God in our lives is our lack of faith, it keeps us from seeking His power and strength. We need to reach up with faith and ask Him to act on our behalf. We need to trust and accept whatever answer he provides and thank him for it.

To learn more about how to have God in your life see my other blog.

(c) Adron 10/25/09