God Is Our Strength

by Charity Pence

Memory Verse: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Psalm 34:19 (NKJ)

"I'm not strong enough."
"I can't do it."
"It's more than I can handle."

Do you ever make those statements? I know I do.  What I find interesting, though, is that for all my talk about not being strong enough, I'm strong enough to cling to things I shouldn't.  Perhaps you can relate.  Is there a situation in your life that God has asked you to correct? Have you taken the necessary steps to be obedient? Making changes is hard, regardless of their degree of difficulty.  But I wonder, wouldn't it be easier to make the change and be done with it rather than exerting so much energy on fighting it?

Too many times I've allowed the devil to trap me in negative thought patterns like the ones listed above, but the problem isn't necessarily with the statements alone.  The greater problem is that the statements and the discouragement that comes with them cause me to forget I don't have to have all the strength.  Instead, I need to call out to Jesus, who is more than enough.  Jesus said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJ)

Allowing ourselves to feel alone is easy, especially when faced with challenging circumstances.  But God is right there with us.  And "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:19.  Don't let Satan fool you into thinking you're on your own to battle this world.  Jesus says, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." John 14:18 (KJV)  Trust God to show you the way.  "In all ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being all that I need, for never forsaking me when life becomes more than I can bear.  Open my eyes so I see you, Lord, and nothing else.  I place my trust in You, and You will not forsake me.  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Power Verses:
Psalm 40:4: "Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust."
1 Peter 5:7: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

God Time

by Charity Pence

This Week’s Verse: Psalm 55:17 “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (KJV)

Normally I like to have my “God time” in the morning. Each day before work, I sit down with my Bible or with a devotional and spend time studying and praying. But lately I’ve been slacking. And I can always tell the difference it makes. I can feel in my heart when I’ve not been making God my priority. There’s a separation that builds up, and I know God isn’t moving away from me; I’m moving away from Him. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” (KJV) This verse reminds me that God will not force Himself into my life. When I turn away from Him, he eagerly but patiently waits for me to come back to Him, and if I am willing to call upon Him once again, He will hear me.

I always talk to God at random moments during the day. But that isn’t enough for me. I need to sit down with God at least once a day with all my focus and attention on Him because that is what strengthens me and protects me from the enemy. Proverbs 15:19 says, “The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.” (NKJV) When I think of this verse, I picture two separate roads. One is unpaved, has bumps, and is covered with briars and brambles. This road resembles my life when I allow myself to drift away from God. The other road is paved, smooth, and easy to travel. This is the road God clears for us, if we would follow His path.

By not spending as much time with God as I should, I have allowed myself to veer off onto the wrong road. I have been stumbling along, getting tangled in snags, and I am exhausted. It’s about time I listen to Isaiah 58:9 which says, “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.” (KJV) The Lord is waiting for me to turn back to Him. It’s time to admit I’ve gotten myself lost and need my Heavenly Father’s help with getting back on the correct road.

Will you pray with me this week? It’s so easy to allow ourselves to become distracted. It’s not so easy to stay connected to our Lord when the world is caving in around us.

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for straying so far from You. Help me to get back on schedule so I can be near You. And thank You, Lord, for always being ready to take me by the hand to lead me when I call out to You.

Application: Do you spend time with God each day? It can be in the mornings, afternoons, evenings, or at bedtime, whichever is best for you. If you currently do, great! If not, ask yourself why. God does so much for us; I think He deserves a lot more than what we give Him.

Power Verses:
Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” (KJV)
Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with my eye.” (NKJV)