Monday, June 28, 2010

Be Strong?

“The Lord is the strength of His people.” (Psalm 28:8a)

“Be strong!”

That’s what we sometimes advise others when life is crumbling around them. We also use the vernacular, “Hang in there!” or “Hang tough!” We mean well. We are trying to encourage people not to give up, to maintain their focus on hope. We might serve them better by simply saying something like that. “Don’t give up!”

An important reality calls out for recognition, like a child in a classroom raising his or her hand as if to say, “I know the answer.” The reality is the one David experienced over and over: The Lord is the strength of His people. The between-the-lines translation is: The Lord was David’s strength.

Our tendency when we face something that appears nearly impossible is to either try harder or give up. David is advising us of the third and correct alternative: Go to God. The Lord is the strength of His people, so why not first go to Him and trust Him for His strength and power and protection? We do what we can in any situation, but when the barriers are stronger than we are, doesn’t it make more sense to seek the Lord’s strength and rest in His strength? That is the way of wisdom.

Lord, Help us to be wise and act wisely today. Amen

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