Psalm 28:7-8 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” 

The first phrase of verse 7 especially encourages me.  “The Lord is my strength.”  How true that is! 

Consider this, brethren.  The all-powerful Yahweh, the One who created all things (Ps. 89:8; Rev. 4:11)…he is OUR strength.  The One who has all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18) came to earth to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19:10), and that was you and me before we obeyed his gospel.  He is OUR strength.  He is not some abstract figure in our lives, some philosophical, illusive concept.  Rather, Jesus accomplished everything He set out to do (John. 4:34; 19:30).

Have you been discouraged lately?  Ever felt lonely?  Have your friends or even your family ever failed you?  Christian, take comfort that you can still go to the source of all strength.  Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).  When you and I turn to him, we turn to the Lord of lords and King of kings!  How wonderful this is!

It’s wonderful because we need Jesus.  We can’t make it on our own!  We can’t save ourselves, we can’t survive the hardships of life on our own.  Only the Lord can give us strength which is unparalleled by all of humanity!  We can trust him to help us because he knows that our souls are worth more than anything (Matt. 16:26).  That’s why he went to the cross (John. 3:16).

Let us therefore forsake all arrogance and pride.  Let us never think that we are wiser or more able than God.  The world, from Eve all the way to now, has always thought that we ourselves suffice as our own authority and our own strength.  Even some Christians reject God and his ways after choosing to follow him for a time, like those who left Jesus in John chapter 6.  Let us instead have the faith of Peter who recognized that he could go to no one else because only Jesus has the words of eternal life (John. 6:68).  One day “every knee will bow” and “every tongue (will) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:10-11), but by then it will be too late for those of us who spent this life looking for strength in ourselves.

That’s why Christians must realize that we must lean on the Lord during times of trouble in this life.  Our riches will leave us in the end.  Rulers and governments tend to disappoint, embitter, and turn on us.  Jobs come and go.  Enemies will continue to attack.  Friends and family will be there until they can’t, and sometimes they will not be able to provide us with the strength and peace we really need.  Yet, when we choose to continually acknowledge the complete superiority of God and remember that he is our strength, we will never take our eyes off of him.  We will continue to prayerfully listen to and follow his guidance and commands revealed to us in Scripture…and we will always have joy, peace and comfort.

May God’s peace and strength be with you all!