DAY 36 Encouragement

I am in need of strength.  This week I am having a hard time staying the course, running the race, fighting the fight.  My strength and endurance have faltered this week, and that really bothers me.  You know why?  Well, there are various reasons, but I want to give you the one that's bothering me most right now.  Let's look at it from a natural point of view.  If you need better endurance when you exercise, what do you have to do?  You have to do more exercise to build up your endurance.  So, I'm thinking, "My spiritual endurance has failed this week.  Does that mean I have to go through more of this waiting and these trials to build my endurance up to where it needs to be so that it doesn't falter or fail me in the future?"  Oh, I pray to God that this is not the case!  I hope I've seen about the last of these days, months, years!

The Lord will give unyielding and impenetrable strength to His people...

Psalm 29:11

The Lord is my Strength and my impenetrable Shield;...The Lord is their unyielding Strength...

Psalm 28:7,8

God is our Refuge and Strength mighty and impenetrable to temptation, a very present and well-proved help in trouble.   Psalm 46:1

He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!

Psalm 62:7

Take a look as the words that are in bold type.  Unyielding means not flexible, firm or rigid.  Impenetrable means that cannot be penetrated or passed through.  God gives us what He has.  He gives us what He is!  HE IS our unyielding Strength and our impenetrable Shield.  He has the strength that I need; He is the Strength that I need.  Nothing's getting through Him!

Yet, there is a key to having this unyielding and impenetrable strength operating in our lives.

Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!

1 Chronicles 16:11

Strength and joy are found in His sanctuary.

1 Chronicles 16:27

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Psalm 96:6

The key is His Presence!  I must dwell in Him, rest in Him, live and move and have my being in Him!  He must be my hiding place!  But, it's more than that!  I must spend time EVERYDAY soaking in His presence.  It's one thing to live in His presence.  It's another to consciously enter His presence.  I know when I have not spent enough time soaking in His presence because I become weak, unable to stay strong through the struggles, and become frustrated very easily.

I have been extremely busy lately, as I'm sure many of you have, and much of my work has been for the Lord.  I'm spending lots of time everyday reading, studying, and writing.  It's been great!  Yet, I have not been spending enough time just soaking in His presence.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in the "doing" for the Lord, that I don't take the time to just "be" with the Lord.  You know what I mean?

A special minister friend reminded me of this very important detail the other day.  I'm truly grateful to her.  Sure I know this, but obviously, I had temporarily forgotten.  Haha!  I've actually preached and written on this very thing many times, but hey, I needed this godly counsel now.  So, I'm reminding you.

I want to be strong and unmovable, unyielding and impenetrable.  I know that you must desire the same things.  Hey, we're attached to the same Vine.  So, take the time, EVERYDAY, to soak in His presence.  Just spend some quality time with Him.  Enjoy Him!

Scriptures for reference and study: Exodus 15:2; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 138:3; Psalm 28:7-8; Psalm 68:35; Psalm 84:5; Psalm 118:14; Habakkuk 3:19; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 15:4-5; Acts 17:28