Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Incredible
strength amidst struggles
" Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."
The author of
Hebrews is exhorting the believers to run a race with a purpose, with endurance
and the blessing of the discipline. When we face hardships or struggles
in our lives, they are not circumstantial or coincidental. They are the
product of our Heavenly Father's love for us. They are His training
program to mature us, mold us, and shape us into the image of His son. In v7 we
read "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father? When we experience struggle, we
will reach the end of ourselves and we will trust in God to accomplish His will
in our lives. God uses such struggles to teach us to trust Him so that He can use
us, change us and see us through this life. When we go through God's
training program, we will come to know the Lord with greater trust and faith
than we have ever known before. It does not mean that our troubles and
trials are not difficult. God knows our training is difficult and intense
and can wear us out. He also knows that without His grace, we will give
in to our fatigue, heartache, sorrow and pain. God does not desire us to
be a failure, but He wants us to learn to cry out to Him, cling to Him, and
trust Him to accomplish His will in our lives.
In v11 we read
"No discipline seems pleasant at that time, but painful”. But, we need to
undergo this training program for us to completely rely on His mercy.
This happens in our lives so that we will rely upon His wisdom, His counsel,
His guidance, His comfort, and His exhortations as we go through this life.
We read the same scripture in Isaiah 35:1-4 and I am sure
the writer of Hebrews got his inspiration from there. God's people had
been through a lot when Isaiah wrote these words to Israelites. They had
suffered through many evil kings, powerful enemy nations who had destroyed
their homeland and taken them captive to different countries who couldn't care
less about the living God. They were on the verge of giving up when these
powerful words were given to them. Isaiah says, “Strengthen the feeble
hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘be
strong, do not fear; your God will come…” A better day is coming -- don’t give
up now! Hold on! Help is on its way!
When we are struggling, facing
hardships, when we see no way out of our situations, when we are desperate,
when we are ready to give up and surrender, the scripture expounds, "this
happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God". God
is reaching out! Your situation is going to change. Your struggles are
going to be over. Come to the foot of the cross and cry out for help.
Help is on the way! Empty yourselves and “Cast your cares on the Lord and he
will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." Psalms
55:22. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
Psalms 46:1
Prayer:
Almighty God, we pray that those who are
weary would find their comfort and strength for their feeble hands and wobbly
knees in your arms. Amen
Thought
for the Day: "this happened
that we might not rely on ourselves but on God"
Dr. Joseph
Mattackal, Long Island Mar Thoma Church
Theme of the week: Incredible amidst of
struggles