Suck It Up Buttercup

Strength

Every time I read these words in the book of Joshua, I am reminded of what the prophet Isaiah would share with Israel about 700 years later:

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives STRENGTH to the weary
and increases the POWER of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and wary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their STRENGTH.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and NOT grow weary,
they will walk and NOT be faint.
--Isaiah 40:28-31

[written in August 2018]: As I finish up this week's prayer email, I realize that I'm running on fumes! The last few weeks have been exhausting in a strange sort of way, and tonight, after a fairly long day, I spent two hours moving lumber in preparation for future remodel work at the bowling alley. I've been burning the midnight and early morning oil, and as I look to my calendar I realize I'm not 100% ready for 20+ hours of teaching at the YWAM base next week.

And this is where I must realize that the strength I need, the power that will help me pull it all together, won't come from within me; I don't have much left going in to the weekend. No, the strength and power I need comes from another source...it comes from The Source! So I'm clinging to Joshua 1:9 to be strong and courageous, and I'm clinging to Isaiah 40:28-31 that assures me God will give me the strength, courage, and power that I need to accomplish life over the next few weeks.

Are you running on fumes right now? Is your tank on empty? If you're looking at Joshua 1:9 and thinking that strength and courage must come from within you, you might be feeling even more depleted and defeated. Thankfully Isaiah reminds us that God is the giver of the very thing He requests, and when we lean in to Him, He provides more than enough.