The Bible teaches that human strength can be—strong, weak, or depleted. Proverbs 24:10 declares, ‘If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.’ Calamities and adversity don’t strengthen the human spirit.
While food and water aid the body’s recovery, true strength doesn’t come from them. No amount of sustenance or pills can mend a broken spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:13, it states, ‘Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both.’ Food doesn’t help when the inner man is broken.
Esau, in the Bible, traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew, thinking it would secure his well-being. His impulsive decision underscores the importance of spiritual matters over immediate desires.
I discovered a secret to unabated strength in Nehemiah’s story. Something spectacular happens in the story. Assigned by God to rebuild a fallen gate and city, he found himself with a team of poor workers. They weren’t skilled at fighting battles. They were employed to build. Building with limited materials can cause significant stress and drain your inner strength, particularly if you lack proper training. But these guys had to build and fight a war at the same time! Despite their circumstances, their strength did not waver. Where did it come from? Nehemiah affirmed, ‘You’ve got what it takes—”the joy of the Lord is your strength.“ Nehemiah 8:10. The joy that originates from the Lord provides strength. The joy originates from the Lord, and that joy is what provides strength. Of course, because these words were translated from Hebrew, the preposition may be mistaken. So, it could imply that your strength is found within the joy that exists in your relationship with the Lord, which emphasises finding strength within the joy that comes from being in the presence or fellowship of the Lord. Whichever it is, Nehemiah is saying your strength comes from joy, which has something to do with the Lord!
When feeling weary and weak, we are often advised to meditate, pray, and seek fellowship in order to renew our strength. What is it about those activities that reinvigorates our strength?
How do we get the joy of the Lord? Where do I find some to buy? David holds the key. The Lord’s presence brings joy, the wellspring of our strength. ‘In His presence is joy and pleasure evermore.’
The more we immerse ourselves in God’s presence, the greater our inner strength. Proximity to God fuels the fervour of the spirit, the key to the strength of faith heroes. This is your wellspring of strength.
In His presence, you are fortified; away from Him, you weaken.
Psalm 16:11 assures, “In your presence, there is the fullness of joy and pleasure evermore.‘”
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk