Wisdom teaches us that looks can be deceiving. We can be fooled by appearances and many of us in fact are fooled at some point in our lives. We live in a society that judges people by their outside appearance rather than the content of their character and hearts. For instance, we might see a person with muscles for days and think that he or she is a very strong person based on their looks. In reality, they may be someone that doesn’t have faith in God and isn’t strong in character or heart at all. Wisdom should also teach us that we can’t judge a book by its cover. Everything that looks good isn’t good for us, and nothing we do on the outside can make us spiritually strong. It’s all about a heart of faith in our Heavenly Father, because He is the Source of all our strength.
Jeremiah 17:5-6(NLT) says, “5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. 6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.” Our Heavenly Father is a God of love and peace. He’s not in heaven waiting to put a curse on a person that places all their trust in human beings. Cursed in this verse in Jeremiah 17:5 is referring to the condition of those who, as a matter of practice, trust people over trusting God. Disappointment and dissatisfaction will ultimately be the result of all our endeavors when we lean on anything in this world, because everything–every person, and every place–is temporary.
Through the Apostle Paul, God teaches us in 2 Corinthians 4:18(NLT), “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” God is a Spirit, and we are His spiritual children. He’s given us the great opportunity and privilege to have a body and to live on earth, where we get to fellowship and have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. We cannot see God’s Kingdom with physical eyes, because it is spiritual, but 2 Corinthians 4:18 affirms that the spiritual is superior and far more real than the three-dimensional world that we live in. It is only temporary, but God’s Kingdom will never end.
As we sojourn on earth, God’s Will is that we do so as spiritually strong people. He’s given us His Word, the example of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that indwells us. He has fully equipped us spiritually because we need His armor to be and remain strong. Ephesians 6:11-13(NLT) tells us, “11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”
Our Heavenly Father has great plans for us, and the more we align our minds and hearts with His plan for our lives, the stronger and more blessed we will become. Romans 8:37 gloriously proclaims that we are more than conquerors in Christ, and 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that we are his ambassadors. We have a purpose for being here, and God has set things up within the universe to help us become more and more like our powerful Lord and Savior as we learn about him. This is Good News indeed. God also reminds us in Ephesians 6:11-13 that we have an enemy, and he doesn’t want us to be strong. Instead, satan wants us to be weak so that he can steal God’s Word from our hearts and continue to carry out destructive and murderous plots against God’s people.
The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:10(NLT), “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Whether it’s problems in our relationships, marriages, jobs, finances, or health, God tells us to be strong in Christ because He has made this our reality through the new birth. Titus 3:5(NLT) says, “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” God has done this for us! He’s given us the strength of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, and now we must put it on and exercise it. We must study God’s Word, pray often in the natural and in the Spirit, and be obedient. When these become a habit pattern in our lives, we will become stronger in faith. We’ll be confident that no weapon formed against us will prosper (Isa 54:17) because we are more than conquerors in Christ!∎
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“Stronger in Christ”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life. Copyright© 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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