Have you heard one or more of these Psalms?

• “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me”
  (Psalm 28:7).
• “The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed” (Psalm 28:8).
• “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14).

All of these verses are true, but friend, are they true for you today?

There are days when it’s obvious that you and I feel worn out and need God’s strength. But you know what? We need God’s strength every day—even on our best days.

On this episode of the 4:13 Podcast, KC and I show you where to find strength when you feel weak. You’ll learn three unique Scriptural strategies to help you tap into the strength that is already yours in Christ. And, sister, you’ll be encouraged because they’re all readily accessible to you.

3 Places You Can Tap Into God’s Strength

• Strength through weakness. The very weakness you hate or try to hide is the very place you can tap into God’s strength. You may not like your weaknesses. Most of us don’t. We want to be sufficient and strong in ourselves. But that isn’t how you and I experience true strength. Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, we need to throw off self-sufficiency and receive the strength made perfect in weakness, and in that strength, be strong. Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). To truly be alive and grow, you have to be broken and recognize that you need God far more than He needs you. When you start to understand your total dependence on Him and your condition without Him, you are then ready to become strong in Him.

  So, today, ask yourself: How am I handling my weakness? Am I trying to be self-sufficient, or am I giving God my weakness so I can tap into His strength?

• Strength through grace. Grace is strengthening. 2 Timothy 2:1 says, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” while Hebrews 13:9 tells us, “It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace.”You either depend on yourself and your works, or you depend on God and His grace. Works are draining, and self-reliance is exhausting. You never know when it’s enough, or if it’s good enough. But God says grace is enough. It will strengthen you.
• Strength through God’s presence. When you stay connected to Jesus, you find strength. In 2 Timothy 4:17, Paul writes, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me…” Here Paul was talking about how he had felt betrayed, stood alone, and was wiped out. But the Lord stood with him and made him strong.In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Apart from Him, you can do nothing. You get your life and your strength from Him.

  And, in Psalm 18:1, David prayed, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” He didn’t say, “I love you, Lord, because you give me strength.” He said God was his strength.

  More verses that talk about strength coming from God’s presence are:

  • “My heart and my flesh fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
  • “…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
  • “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

  Your strength lies in companionship with Christ and staying connected to Him.

There you go, sister! You can experience God’s strength when you drop the self-reliance and admit your need. When you rely on grace, you grow in strength. And, when we lean into His companionship, He becomes our strength.

You can tap into God’s strength when you feel weak because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

Related Resources

Books by Jennifer Rothschild

• 66 Ways God Loves You

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Can I Really Do All Things Through Christ? [Episode 17]
• Overcomer DVD

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What is your favorite verse about God being your strength?