Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Heart Strength

“I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy.” (Psalm 61:2-3)

When your heart is without strength, you need to call out to God.

So, what is this “heart” as the psalmist understands it? The heart is the core of human personality, the center of creativity, the characteristics that define who we are. Even more so, the heart is the will. When someone says, “I don’t have the heart to do this,” they capture the essence of what heart means. To have a heart that is without strength is to thus have a weakened will, a feeling in the center of your being that continuing forward is either difficult or maybe not possible.

When does the heart get in such condition? The psalmist mentioned “the ends of the earth.” That suggests distance. If someone moves away from the familiar territory of his or her spiritual relationship with the Lord, eventually he or she will experience a heart without much strength. Then, the discouragement that ensues is often thus the residue of relying on yourself for strength. Ultimately, our heart strength runs out, because it has nothing to sustain it. Calling to the Lord and moving back toward a reliance on His strength overcomes the distance and moves us back toward the warmth of the fire.

The psalmist also mentions “the face of the enemy.” This suggests fighting, or struggle. When someone is involved in a prolonged struggle with no relief in sight, a sense of weariness can sweep over them like a flash flood. That weariness can weaken the will and make us feel like we are unable to keep going. Again, when we find ourselves at this point, that is when we need to call to the Lord and move in to His strong tower, where we can find rest and safety.

When your heart is without strength, you need to call out to the Lord.

Lord, We call to You knowing that You hear, and knowing that You are our eternal Source of heart strength. Thank You. Amen.

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