- Strength and Power
Psalm 68:35
O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places:
the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people.
God is powerful and majestic; He is awesome and terrible when He shines forth from His Holy Presence. That God is Almighty in Power and Awesome in Majesty is not hard to believe about the Creator of the Universe. What is harder to believe is that God gives His very own creative strength and power to His people. That’s what this promise is all about.
If we could believe God and receive this terrible promise we would never fear, worry, doubt or be anxious for anything: when I am afraid I will trust in Him; when I am anxious I will pray with thanksgiving; when my faith doubts I will turn fully toward Him. (By the way, unbelief does not doubt, faith doubts. So if you have doubts it is because you have faith, not because you lack faith.)
Believing and receiving is the key. The promise is there; the promise is true; the promise is ours to live by: He will give me strength and power. Faith receives it. The good news is that God Himself, the Holy Spirit, gives me the faith that receives the promises of God, since I by myself cannot believe the Gospel or come to Christ. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel and enlightened me with His gifts. Now by the work of the Spirit through the Word I am receiving, enjoying and using the strength of God in my own weakened condition and life circumstances.
The practical way to take hold of this promise and make it effective in my present life situation is to repent: acknowledge my weakness and inability, my sinfulness and misery, my need and helplessness. “I will boast of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The weaker and humbler I am the stronger and more powerful Christ is. 2 Corinthians 12:10: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I make room for Christ’s strength by recognizing my weak and sinful nature: the less of me the more of Christ.
I cannot stop sinning; I cannot stop dying; I cannot resist the devil. I am too weak. But God gives me Christ’s strength and power to overcome and win the battle. And that’s a promise.