Strength. Strength is not born from strong moments. Those moments when you are proud of yourself for being tough and standing strong in a situation you thought would swallow you whole. No, that is not where we gain strength. Strength is born in the moments when we get swallowed whole. When we are breathing in our last breaths and we have the choice to either die or to call out the one name who can help us, Jesus! This moment is where we gain our strength. Our weakest moments in life, the ones we, in the past, may have been ashamed of. But today, I want that to change. No more being ashamed, feeling guilty, feeling weak. God shapes us in those weak moments. We must be weak in order for us to grow muscles, to push through the pain and choose to move forward. We are strong when we decide not to stay down, when we say “no longer will I be beaten down by this situation or that situation”. That is strength. Real, raw, emotional strength.

Let’s take a look into the word to see where others tended to gain their strength. First, I want to look at the example of David. He is a shepherd that knew God and gave God praise always. Along comes a bear and a lion trying to attack his sheep, so what does he do? Does he cower and hide behind one of his sheep? No, he gets his strength from God and kills the bear and the lion in order to protect his sheep. Now, he could have chosen to run and not even try to save and protect his sheep but he decided in his weak flesh to depend on God for strength and God gave it to him (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Next, we read that a giant Philistine named Goliath was wanting to fight one of the Isrealites. So he shouted to them for forty days and forty nights to send someone to fight him. Finally, we see that david steps into the scene. Now, let me address here that david was no muscular man. He was considered a little guy and goliath was a huge giant who fought in wars and destroyed everyone. So, in saying that, we can see that david had to lean on God’s strength in order to defeat this giant. He was weak in his flesh, but it was God who would give him the strength to kill goliath. David goes forth and is allowed to fight goliath and he takes one stone and places it in his slingshot and with that one hit he is able to kill goliath. That is strength from God. (1 Samuel 17:1-54)

Let’s look at one more story in the bible. A woman who was very weak in her flesh. Just a normal woman of God who ended up changing the life of her people because she leaned on God for her strength and He gave it to her. Esther. She was scared. She was taken by orders of King Ahasuerus as one of the many women to try to become his new queen. Though she was against it, she stayed true to who she was, praying in her weakness and fear that God would be with her and give her wisdom and strength, and because of that she was able to save her people, the Jews from death, and she became the queen. (The whole book of Esther)

We all face tough situations in our lives. They are all different for each one of us. Where we will succeed in gaining strength through these tough times is whether or not we will lean to God for our strength. In doing that, God blesses us with the strength we need. We may think we can be tough and strong without God but the truth is we will never be as strong without God as we will be with God. When you face a situation you feel you just cannot get through, turn your eyes upon God. He will help you through. And when you get through, you will see that you are stronger. Life will throw things at you just for fun and will laugh in your face, but life stops laughing when you call upon the one who can throw it right back. God will always be there to walk you through the situation and will hold you up. He is our shield. Our sword. Our armor. Without him we are just human, weak for the world to do what it will. But let me tell you, when God steps onto the scene, all of the world cowers at His presence and there is nothing that can take you down after that. Philipians 2:10, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. In our weakness, God is strong. We get our strength from Him. And we get our strength from Him when we are at our weakest, scariest points. So call out and He will come.

Psalm 138:7 – Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.