Originally published Friday, 02 May 2014.
We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1:10-12 (MSG)
"What is that sigh for?" My husband calls from the other room alerting me to the air I exhaled.
I thought it had been internal. I thought the worries of the week ahead were contained in head not leaking audibly out my mouth.
I'm looking at my week wondering how I'm going to get the to-do list done. Considering what I can scratch off the list and realizing the list is already down to only things-that-must-done.
I have no idea where to start so grab my bible.
I pick my bible up because I need to write this devotional. And I pick it up because I need to read a verse that gives me the courage to face this week.
I flit from verse to verse in the bible like a bee searching for a sweet flower.
I read about how God is strong when we are weak and how his at his weakest his strength makes our strongest moment look like baby struggling to stand on it’s own two feet.
Then I flip again and I imagine Paul is praying Colossians 1:10-12 over me.
We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul...
Strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy…
Strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that the Father has for you.
As I pray this verse in my head I begin to feel that the long-list of things I have to do this week – the minor things and the major things – can be achieved if I ask God for strength.
I look at the list again and I pray for strength, not the kind of strength that has me gritting my teeth but the kind of strength that spills over into joy.
The glory-strength God gives, is the kind of strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy.(tweet this)
God’s strength is the kind of strength I need as I sigh about the week. It’s the kind of strength that gives me the ability to face my to-do list.
Ponder: What are you dreading doing this week? Do you believe that God will show up and help you through whatever hard things come up?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting my teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes me strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for me. Amen.
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- This was orginally published on my site in February 2014 to read more devotionals like this go to ilovedevotionals.com
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