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Monday, April 24, 2017

God is…Strength


My word study on strength has been much more interesting than the last couple of words that I studies.  I've included comments on a few of the verses and then I will give you a summary at the end.


Exodus 13:3(NKJV)
And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. 
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This "strength of hand" phrase was used 3 times in a very few verses.  I'm not sure about the "of hand" part but I do note that it was the strength of God, not the weakness of God, that brought them out of Egypt.
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Exodus 15:2(NKJV)
    The Lord is my strength and song,     And He has become my salvation;     He is my God, and I will praise Him;     My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.


1 Samuel 2:9(NKJV)
    He will guard the feet of His saints,     But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.      “For by strength no man shall prevail.
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In other words no man's strength is a match for God's strength.
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1 Samuel 2:10(NKJV)
    The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;     From heaven He will thunder against them.     The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.      “He will give strength to His king,     And exalt the horn of His anointed.”


2 Samuel 22:3(NKJV)
    The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;     My shield and the horn of my salvation,     My stronghold and my refuge;     My Savior, You save me from violence.


2 Samuel 22:33(NKJV)
    God is my strength and power,     And He makes my way perfect.


2 Samuel 22:40(NKJV)
    For You have armed me with strength for the battle;     You have subdued under me those who rose against me.
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For those who think Jesus (and by extension God) are pacifists; arming your people with strength for the battle would seem to be an odd thing for a pacifist to do wouldn't it? 
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Job 9:4(NKJV)
    God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.     Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?


Psalms 8:2(NKJV)
    Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants      You have ordained strength,     Because of Your enemies,     That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.


Psalms 18:32(NKJV)
    It is God who arms me with strength,     And makes my way perfect.


Psalms 27:1(NKJV)
    The Lord is my light and my salvation;      Whom shall I fear?     The Lord is the strength of my life;     Of whom shall I be afraid?


Isaiah 26:4(NKJV)
    Trust in the Lord forever,     For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 33:6(NKJV)
    Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,     And the strength of salvation;     The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
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This one is interesting.  We think of strength in the physical sense but look what this verse says.  What gives us the "strength of salvation"?  Wisdom and knowledge!
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Isaiah 40:9(NKJV)
    O Zion,      You who bring good tidings,     Get up into the high mountain;     O Jerusalem,     You who bring good tidings,     Lift up your voice with strength,     Lift it up, be not afraid;     Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
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Notice it doesn't say quietly whisper about God.  It says lift up your voice with strength.
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Isaiah 40:31(NKJV)
    But those who wait on the Lord     Shall renew their strength;     They shall mount up with wings like eagles,     They shall run and not be weary,      They shall walk and not faint.

Lamentations 1:14(NKJV)
    “The yoke of my transgressions was bound;      They were woven together by His hands,     And thrust upon my neck.     He made my strength fail;     The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.


Joel 2:22(NKJV)
    Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;     For the open pastures are springing up,     And the tree bears its fruit;     The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.


2 Corinthians 12:7-10(NKJV)
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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OK, here are some of my observations.  Man can get strength from two places.  He can draw upon his own strength or he can draw on God for his strength.

Man's strength can fail.  Think of the phrase "end of my rope".  God's strength on the other hand can be renewed.  Just when we think we have reached "the end of our rope" if we call upon God we can feel our strength being renewed.  What we thought was the end of our rope was actually just a quick rest before drawing on God's strength as we surge to victory.

And lastly it is important that we acknowledge that our strength comes from God and that we give Him all the credit for that strength and what we do with it.  As Paul said God's strength is made that much more impressive when we allow it to shine through our weaknesses.  

So draw on God for your strength and make sure you praise Him and give Him all the credit for your strength!

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