Apostolic Faith Tabernacle

Devotion With David

God Provides Strength

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

When you read through the book of Isaiah, you find that chapter 40 is a turning point. The first 39 chapters seem to emphasize God‘s judgment because of Judah’s sin. Then in chapter 40 there is a shift toward Hope, restoration and God‘s coming redemption. We get one of the most memorable verses in the Bible from chapter 40. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength… This turns the focus from our strength to God’s strength.

The emphasis becomes I am your God and you are my people. Although Israel feels abandoned, God is reminding them that the relationship has not ended. Isaiah reminds them how great God is. He closes chapter 40 with that favorite verse about waiting on the Lord.

Chapter 41 begins with God saying “Let the people renew their strength”. When we get to verse 10 God gives five promises or five reasons they should not fear:

I am with you.
I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
I will help you.
I will uphold you.

All of these are about God‘s strength in us. Maybe today you need to renew your strength and be reminded that it is God‘s strength that we rely on. God’s strength is present continually. It is not something that we rely on only in difficult times. God wants to be with you and your God. When you look at scripture, those that were “strong in the Lord“ were those who had a relationship with him.

You can think of those who you are most familiar with, and where their strength came from. David, Abraham, Moses, and Joshua all had an encounter with God and walked with God. David on the backside of the mountain saw God‘s power. Abraham was a friend of God and talked to God constantly. Moses was chosen at the burning bush because there was something in him that said I am not an Egyptian. Joshua was chosen to succeed Moses. God told him to not be afraid because he was with him.

If you’re feeling weak today, that might be the thing to causes you to rely on God’s strength. Remember, God told Paul his strength was made perfect and weakness. Instead of removing the thorn in the flesh, God said my grace will give you strength. Choose God strength instead of your own. Acknowledge your weakness and let him make you strong.

Samson is one of the most intriguing characters in the Bible to me. He never really seemed to get his relationship with God right. It was constantly about him. Even in death, he prayed let me die with my enemy so that my eyesight can be avenged. I’m bringing Samson to light to say that God might use you to accomplish his purpose when your attitude is wrong, but what God wants is a relationship with you.

Don’t use God as a spare tire as it seemed Samson did. Today I want you to go back to our opening verse and let God remind you of his five promises there.

God wants to give you his presence. He said I am with you.
He wants a relationship with you. He said I am your God.
He said I will strengthen you. This is not just encouragement. This is God giving you strength enabling you to face the next challenge.
He promised he would help us. If you will let him God wants to be involved in your everyday life. His help can be present at all times.
He will support us With the right hand of his righteousness. What a promise God makes to us.

Would you let God be all of these things for you, today? Make time to spend with him every day. You will find that he will be your strength when you walk with him. Let the promise of Isaiah 41:10 speak to you today. As always if I can do anything for you reach out to me and I will do the best I can to help.