Julia Melatis – Author

“God doesn’t just want to give you strength — He wants to be your strength!” — Joyce Meyer

I read this Joyce Meyer quote on Facebook today. Talk about an aha moment! I don’t know why I hadn’t fully gotten this before. I often pray, “God give me strength” to do this or to face that. Perhaps instead I should take my queue from David’s prayers in the Psalms and pray more like this: Lord I cannot do this alone. You are my Strength, my Rock and my Fortress. In You I trust, I have no need to fear.
Here are a few of the many samples in the Psalms:
You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:17 NIV
I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Psalm 3:6 NIV
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 NIV
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Psalm 27:3 NIV

We are not meant to do this life alone, in our own power. In the world the older we get the more independent we are expected to become. But in God’s Kingdom the more mature in our faith we become the more dependent upon God we should become.

Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. 2 Chronicles 14:11 NLT

Trust in the Lord and not in ourselves or our own abilities. God does not expect us to do anything more than make ourselves available to Him and the work He wants to do in and through us. It’s easy to fear, to lose faith, hope, and confidence when we look to ourselves and our own abilities. But when we look to the Lord, when we remember who He is, His promises, and the things He has done in the past (biblically and in our own lives) we know we can trust Him with every part of our lives, relying on His strength, resting in His love, and trusting in His goodness. He is our Lord, the All-Sufficient One (Provider), the One Who Heals, the One Who Sees Me, the All-Powerful One, Our Shepherd, Our Righteousness, and the Self-Existent One. He gives to all those who love Him, His love, peace, joy, light, life, forgiveness, grace, mercy, power, healing…there is nothing the Lord cannot handle. He is absolutely trustworthy. I have seen emails, cards and plaques with the following (or similar) saying that sums this up quite nicely: “Good morning this is God. I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help, so have a good day. I love you.”

Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22 NLT
Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 NIV
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

May we day to day, moment to moment, remember to let go of our problems, fears, failures, sicknesses, loved ones…into the hands of the God who not only sees us, but loves us, and knows what is best for us.

“Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10 NLT

Blessings,
Julia