Be Strong in the Lord!
The Easter celebrations are over. The family has returned home or you have returned home. You have been back at work for a week. The decisions you made to be more faithful have been tried. How do you keep the momentum going and maintain the growth that has started in your heart and in your walk with Christ?
While a different setting, David dealt with similar issues when he wrote Psalm 27:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.” Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. First, David believed that he did not need to fear anyone or anything that opposed him because he believed God to be more powerful than his enemies. God is more powerful than the enemy within and the enemies without. He did not let the fear of failure, loss, or even war cause him to fear to the point that he took his eyes off of God. We must not allow our fears and failures to take our eyes off of God either.
Second, David continued to hold the Lord and worship before his eyes throughout his life. He was constantly reminded that, even if his enemies would prevail, he would spend eternity in the house of the Lord in Heaven. If his enemies did not prevail, David would dedicate himself to worshiping at the Tabernacle. We need to have this confidence as well. If you have repented of your sins and surrendered your life to following Christ for the rest of your life, then heaven is your ultimate destination. Until then, nothing can separate us from Him and from the privilege of worshiping Him.
David hungered to learn from God. He wanted to know God. He wanted to understand God’s character so that he could become more and more aware of and convinced of God’s love for him. You and I have a privilege that David did not have. We have the whole Bible to read and study and use to understand God and His plan for our lives. In order to keep the momentum going with the decisions we made during the Lenten season and Easter, we must make the study of and obedience to God’s word a constant priority.
Lastly, David was honest with his frustrations as he went along. He said that he was concerned to the point that he would have despaired if he did not believe that he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. David said he was really close to despair, but he was reminded that, even when he was not faithful, God still is. You and I have that promise as well. Jesus is coming again to get His children. When things are hard here, we must keep this future deliverance in mind. We must let that encourage us not to give up, give in, or give out.