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."

The Armor of God

By Bethany Lashbrook

Today's Verse: 1Corinithians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Devotion:

I was listening to the radio on my way to work, when I heard a song that said something like this: "but the devil was sitting on my shoulder." I immediately thought of that cartoon image -you know, the one where an angel is on one shoulder and Satan with his pitchfork is on the other. Typically, in cartoons, this is when Tom would decide to go ahead and chase Jerry. Or Wyley Coyote would try to eat the Roadrunner one more time!

Once a temptation enters our head, it seems to stick. Actually, it's hard to think of anything else. But the bible reminds us to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, NIV)

Typically, at the end of these cartoons, Tom and Wyley Coyote would fall flat on their faces and hold up a sign that proclaimed "help"! And typically, this is what happens when we fall into temptation. Even if things seem to be going okay at first, it usually doesn't last. We must cling to the word daily so we are reminded of the power the Lord gives us to deny such temptations in our lives.

Ephesians 6:14-17 reminds us: "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)

We can be armed and ready for hardships in our lives, for temptations, and also for joyful times. In all times we can pick up this armor and fight against Satan and his whisperings in our ear and tempting lies he lays on our shoulders.

Dear Lord, thank you for placing the holy spirit in our lives so we are equipped with you on a daily basis. Help us, as we get dressed in the morning, to also place on our full armor of you - so we are prepared daily to walk with you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application: Are you struggling with a temptation right now? Join me this week and as you are getting ready in the morning, try repeating this scripture - out loud - and let's clothe ourselves with the armor of God this week!

Power Verses:

Matthew 6: 9-13, “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’" (NIV)

Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (NIV)

Strength vs. Weakness

By Lisa Lashbrook

This Week’s Verse: 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually.” (NIV)

Devotion: I attended Women of Faith in Portland, Oregon recently. Shelia Walsh, author and singer stated that talking was one of her gifts, but as a child people would smack her gift. We all got a good laugh but really there is so much truth to that. Why don’t we focus on our own strengths and continue to build on them? Instead, we seem to try to improve our weaknesses.

Gallup Organization, states in 2000 people focused 59% on their weakness and 41% on their strengths. In 2009 people focused on 55% focused on their weakness and 45% on their strengths, just a 4% difference in 9 years.

As an example, what would you do if your child came home from school with their report card reflecting an A in English, 2 B’s, a C and 1 D in Math? How would this change your conversations? I can bet that every night at the dinner table there would be a question asking, “Do you have your Math homework done? How was Math class today?” Before the child goes to bed, again there is a question if the Math homework was completed. As a parent would you hire a tutor for your child?

However, throughout the night, do you think a question or comment could be made about the English class or the 2 B classes? Would there be a compliment made on how well the child was doing in that field? Would you pursue an outside activity where they could enhance their specialty field? Would you encourage them to be involved in a spelling Bee, Bible bowl, or just be a help to other children in need?

This happened to us when our children were in grade school. One of them was having trouble with Math and we hired a retired schoolteacher to come to the house one night a week. She was a sweet lady and was so beautiful in her interaction with the kids. It didn’t take but just a few weeks and we had a better understanding of the subject. It was definitely worth the investment because it built confidence again in my child. I discovered that my child learned easier from the tutor than the teacher. Maybe that was what my child needed - a fresh face to help understand the subject more clearly.

I can’t remember how much we verbally dwelled on this subject, but I do know it didn’t consume our focus. We dealt with the subject it and then moved on.

But I have to stop and think - did I really pursue their strengths? Sure, Kelli got “Most Improved” softball player, Clint was a baseball pitcher and did well in golf, and they both loved going to Awana. But on a day-to-day basis did I always have their strengths in my best interest or was I always concerned about “improving” their weakness for a well- balanced child?

I know I don’t have any strength on my own, it is only by letting God work through me. The Lord would like to work through you too!

Father, help us to find our strength through you in every aspect of our life! Help us to look at our strengths and dwell on those more than our weaknesses. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Applications: List 5 strengths in your life and share them with others.

Power Verses:

1 Samuel 2:1 "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.” (NIV)

1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually!” (NIV)

Psalms 28:8 “The LORD is the strength of his people, he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” (NIV)

Strength 101

By Lisa Lashbrook

This Week’s Verse: Nehemiah 8:11 “for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (NIV)

What are you passionate about? What makes you joyful? When was the last time you did something you enjoyed? In your ministry, what gives you the greatest joy in the Lord?

Are you passionate about teaching, serving, leading, children, bookkeeping, maintenance, praying, tithing, encouraging or communicating? The list goes on and on. Your strength will be where YOU are at your BEST and that JOY will bring such strength in the Lord and will reflect in all areas of your life.

When you find the activity and passion that you feel strong about, it will lead to performance and action!

When I was in high school, I was a teacher’s aide my junior and senior year. I thought I wanted to be an elementary teacher. God had another idea and lead me into personnel management. My career was coordinating, training and teaching course curriculum to 300 to 700 staff. I would get extreme satisfaction thinking about going into a classroom and providing staff with information that would help them with their careers. I would prepare and try to be creative in my delivery to make a subject exciting! Often times I would have a hands-on activity to help demonstrate the objectives. I wanted learning to be fun!

In my personal life over the years, I have taught different ladies bible study groups, communicated information while volunteering at a Pregnancy Life Center, been a VBS Director and VBS leader, and I am currently leading the Side by Side Sunday School class at 8:30 am. As a mother we are always teaching our children and grandchildren. This is the most rewarding!

Ask yourself this S.I.G.N.:

S = Success. Do you feel effective in your passion and service?

I = Instinct. Do you look forward to this service?

G= Growth. How do you feel while you carry out this service?

N= Needs. How do you feel after – invigorated?

How often do you express your strength? Is it only on Sunday? Wednesday? Every day? I hope you love your strength as much as I love mine! If you are not sure about your strength area in life, check out the website www.stronglifetest.com and discover your top 2 life skills.

Dear Lord, thank you for helping me find my spiritual strength. Thank you for making each of us unique so that we may serve you in many ways. Lead those who don’t know you towards you and help those that do know you to discover their strengths in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Applications: Look for opportunities to express your passion with others and share the joy!

Power Verses:

Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (NIV)

Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (NIV)

1 Corinthians 14:12 “And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.” (NLT)

Beyond the Smoke

by Debby Craig

This Week's Verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (KJV)

Devotion:
The Lord was patient with me when it came to my habit of smoking. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior on 1/1/1979 and I quit smoking 21 years later on 10/25/2000--nine years ago. I had tried at least eight times before that to kick the habit. I learned a lot about His love for me when I finally quit.

I woke up with no voice that day – it was a sign! I took the cigarettes and ran water over them before I put them in the trash. (You have to do that when you quit or else when the urge hits you will sift through the broken pieces in the trash and find at least one that will work.) I made it 45 minutes until I had the first attack and without any hesitation, as usual, I headed to the car to go get another pack. I had a talk with the Lord as I headed out to the garage and told Him, “This is useless. I can’t do this, and you know it. You have seen me try and try and you understand because you know me better than anyone does.”

The radio was on when I started the car. It was “testimony day” on WBGL and at that precise moment (God’s timing) a woman was praising God because she had asked the Lord to help her quit smoking and she hadn’t had a cigarette since. That is when I realized that I had never given this “thing” to the Lord. I was trying to do it alone.

I was broken at that moment. I couldn’t ever do this on my own and the Lord knew that. He had been so patient with me. When I realized that He was right there in the car wrapping His big arms around me and comforting me, I knew He would be there for every urge and every “fit” until it was over. This was a HUGE day for me. I didn’t have to do it. He did it for me.

I used this week's verse as encouragement for many years in the battle: “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." I could just see God looking back and forth and then He finds me and shows himself strong in my behalf at the perfect moment!

Has He possibly given me more time here on earth to spread His word and tell people about His amazing love, patience, and strength? Maybe an extra nine years that I wouldn’t have had before? I don’t know the answer to that – only He does.

What I do know is that I have a new understanding of how addictions happen and how they can control us. The ministry that He eventually planned for me called me to look past everyone's addications and see them as He did. Maybe it took so long in my case because He knew that I needed that personal lesson from Him to have it hit home and to empathize with those I'm now called to minister to.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have done so much for me and my family and still I waste days and sometimes even weeks or months and don’t shout to the rooftops of your might and power. I am so glad that you never turn your back on us. I pray that you will give me a boost of you when it is needed most. Show me the people in my path that need you and give me the words to share with them to let them know how much you love them. Please give me patience with them while they are waiting on their lessons from you.

Application:
Identify your addictions. Have a frank talk with God about your deliverance from them, recognizing it's all Him, not you. Listen for direction on how to use your experience to minister to others.

Power Verses:
Romans 10:13-14, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?"(NLT)
1 Corinthians 10:13, "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." (MSG)

The Lifestyle Change

by Debby Craig

This Week’s Verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”(NIV)

Read the following statements and see if you can guess what specific change is being addressed:

--We have to live it daily or we will fall back into our old ways and habits.

--We have to practice staying focused – but we do!

--We tell all of our loved ones and friends about it, and in a way we are trying to convince them to try it.

--We don't mean to, but we offend some (probably many) with our chatter about it.

--We know it might take months or years to get where we want, but even so we are determined.

Have you guessed? Nowadays we call it our new lifestyle change, not a DIET! Maybe not all of you, but some, have either been the dieter or the dietee (the one listening to the chatter of your loved one or friend about her new “lifestyle change”).

All of the statements above, however, also sound like they could pertain to living for Christ!

There is nothing wrong with dieting and watching what we put into this body of ours. After all, 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own, you were bought with a price; therefore honor God with your body.”(NIV)

And then when that 350 calorie meal leaves me still famished and wanting more food, I remember the diet verse I found: Lamentations 3:24, “ So I say to myself, the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait on Him!”(NIV)

Oh, that we would have the same excitement, boldness, and lack of fear when it comes to telling others about Jesus as we have when telling about discovering the “right” diet. He is the ultimate and final lifestyle change. He has the power to change the behaviors and habits in our lives that need fixin’ and He does so on a regular basis. If we are having success with our weight loss, are we giving credit to the new “lifestyle change” we discovered? Or are we giving credit to Whom it belongs?

Dear Heavenly Father, we forget you sometimes. We are so sorry for that. Forgive us, Lord. We know that you are proud of us when we are trying to do what is best for your temple (our bodies) but help us remember where we get our strength during those hard times. Put people in our path that need you and give us another chance to be helpful. We pray for the right words, Dear Lord, when it comes to telling our loved ones and friends how you can fix their bodies and self-esteem with just a whisper and a hug.

Application:
God directs all our steps and our strength comes from Him. The next time we boast about something good going on in our lives or bodies, let’s remember who has control over it and give Him the credit when someone asks “How are you doing it?”

Power Verses:
1 Corinthians 8:8, “But fortunately God doesn't grade us on our diet. We're neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can't stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.” (MSG)
Psalm 18:1, “I love you, Lord; you are my strength. (NLT)