Originally published Friday, 05 September 2014.
The Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 (NIV)
Some days are just hard.
Somehow more hard days seem to fall on Mondays.
I don’t know why this is, I don’t know if it’s because I allow myself to suspend reality over the weekend, and then struggle under the weight of life when the week starts.
On the days when I wake up, and wonder how I’ll make it through the day, I’ve learnt to rally myself by quoting Judges 6:14, “Go with the strength you have.”
I love this verse. And I love the story behind it.
God spoke these words to a man called Gideon.
Gideon found himself in a pretty impossible situation. In Judges 6 you can read about how an angel came to Gideon and told him to fight the Midianites who at the time were enslaving the Israelites.
Gideon is unsure about why God chooses him to undertake this hard task. He questions God, and he goes on to test God, but what I love is how God replies, how God tells Gideon that he won’t succeed because he is a mighty warrior, but because God goes with him.
I love that Gideon’s story recognises strength isn’t always mighty or brave or confident.
Sometimes strength is trusting that God is sending me even when I’d rather run from a situation.
Sometimes strength is moving forward, even at a crawl. (tweet this)
Sometimes strength resides in small actions, in walking out the door, in kind words.
Sometimes strength is believing God’s power comes into it’s own in my weakness.
Sometimes strength is going anyway.
Sometimes strength is doing the next small thing. (tweet this)
And sometimes doing the next small thing is all I need to do to see God’s strength come into its own in my weakness.
Ponder: What does strength mean to you? Have you experienced God giving you strength in your weakness?
Pray: Jesus, give me strength in my weakness.
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- This was orginally published on my site in June 2014 to read more devotionals like this go to ilovedevotionals.com
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