Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage… They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion (Psalm 84:5, 7 NKJV).
When we reach the end of our strength and turn to God to take over with His strength, we tap into a supernatural type of strength and ability to face the most difficult situations and circumstances.
The word “strength” in Psalm 84 refers to God’s strength which calls on a force—an army or host—of might and power. This army is comprised of angelic beings who wait to take orders from their Captain, as evidenced in Psalm 103:20-21, bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.
The Lord fully understands our weaknesses. He made us, and nothing surprises Him. When we falter, He’s already there, understanding and loving us, waiting to help and encourage us. Psalm 73:26 (ESV) says, my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. The NLT version says, my health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.
Often life throws insurmountable problems at us, and we wring our hands in frustration, fear, and desperation. Perhaps terminal sickness jumps out at us, a relationship breaks apart, or a decision too hard to bear burdens our hearts. At that point, our flesh and hearts fail us. Our spirits grow weak. Not to worry! God’s strength never falters. He is always a rock of strength! Trust in the Lord forever. For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:4).
When the Lord of Angel Armies brings His strength to our crippled, weakened attempts at victory, we are infused with His power and might. Our weakened, defeated hearts are strengthened, and remarkably, we can rise above impossible situations with renewed peace and hope as the Captain of the Host of Angel Armies comes to our aid. Moreover, He graciously extends His lovingkindness and strength to us and gives us a place of honor and purpose in His Body, in spite of our weaknesses and limitations.
As we journey through life on a pilgrimage with Christ, we can keep running to safety, even when danger chases us or backs us into a corner. Taking others along on this pilgrimage encourages us even more as individuals, and corporately we take on the strength of the Lord to overcome difficulties and obstacles. As we encourage each other, our strength and endurance to serve the Lord wholeheartedly and effectively grow from strength to strength.
Remember, the scripture does not say, I can do all things through me who strengthens me; it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). And because the Lord’s strength empowers us, we can triumphantly proclaim, when I am weak, then I am strong! (2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT).
God, Himself becomes the strength of our hearts and our portion of strength, hope, and love forever. His supply is inexhaustible; who He is and what He does is our portion and inheritance forever. Praise be to God, the strength of our hearts! He is ours forever!
© 2023, Chris Werre