Strength according to biblical standards

Quietness, trust & joy

As I spend many hours working behind a desk, I enjoy a good work out. It takes me half an hour on my bicycle to get to work and when the weather permits it, I go for a power walk during lunch time. But nothing beats a spinning lesson at my local gym! The exercise strengthens and excites me and quite often I feel much better afterwards.

Still reading through Isaiah I came upon a verse that talks about biblical strength, In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15). Now, that's a total different story. Although I am all for physical exercise and building up some muscles, I also realize that our real strength is not physical. It is not intellectual or mental either. The Bible teaches that our strength  is in quietness and trust. I really had to think that over because it goes so much against the standard the world has set. Real strength cannot be measured according to the worldly standards. It cannot be found in exercise, education, status or importance. Real strength is in God and in godly attributes like quietness, trust and joy (Nehemiah 8:10). It is with the psalmist that we can cry out to God: Strengthen me according to your word (Psalm 119:28)

When I can stay quiet during arguments or difficult times, when I can trust God when all goes wrong... then I am showing strength. Again, this is where the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit will come in. Without His help we will fail, all the time. The apostle Paul's prayer for the believers is this: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:16). What a great prayer! The Holy Spirit will strengthen us with power in our inner being.

That brings me to the subject of one of our workshops: the power of God. I will post a short version about the power of God in my next post! Until then: may you be be strengthened in your daily walk!