Seeking Jesus, Finding Strength

Raise your hand if you ever feel discouraged, weary, worried, anxious, or overwhelmed. Even though I can’t see you, I am right there with you. Our personal concerns and the troubles in this world can press in and try to drag us down; they get so very heavy when we attempt to carry them on our own. A wide array of concerns can burden our hearts and weary our souls when we allow them to consume us. The Bible exhorts us numerous times to lift our eyes and look to the Lord—He is our helper, our strong tower, our refuge, our strength. In Jesus we find our peace, hope, joy, and confidence. He warns us that in this world we will have trouble; He also encourages us to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Jesus invites us to come to Him, take His yoke upon us, and let Him do all the heavy lifting. There is nothing too big that He cannot handle. When everything seems to be spinning wildly into chaos, He remains in complete control. Nothing surprises God; all of eternity is laid out before Him like a scroll. He sees the past, present, and future with a clarity we can’t begin to grasp.

When I’m seeking strength in my own plans and solutions, I often come up empty-handed. My might and wisdom seem to fall short of the challenge looming before me, so I needlessly worry and fret. Rather than push ahead, I toss my hands in the air and am tempted to throw in the towel. Moving forward is easy to do when there is no resistance in our way, but as we all know, this is usually not the case. I'm sure you can relate.

This discouragement can arise in our relationships, our jobs, and our ministries, even when we know in our hearts that it is something God has obviously called us to. In my everyday life I question, am I doing enough, being good enough, kind enough, and loving enough? The honest answer is that on my own I will always fall short, but as a child of God, dependent on His strength, I am more than enough and able to do more than I can imagine.

Isaiah 42:29, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

God has lovingly and sovereignly been highlighting Scriptures about His strength at work in my life—verses are popping up and devotions are bringing it to my attention. God is reminding me that I am more than a conqueror through Him who gives me strength (Romans 8:37)! It is not up to me to solve the planet’s problems, or make someone’s faith grow, or make a ministry flourish on my own. God is the One who does all this and more—He is a mountain-mover after all! My part is to seek, pray, listen, and obey—to hear His voice, follow His lead, and act on His directions. Abiding in the Lord allows me to move in His rhythm of grace and strength, rather than the strained force of my feeble efforts. I can do hard things and overcome large obstacles when the Lord leads my way. I can have an impact when I allow Him to use me for His purpose and guide me in His plans.

Instead of fretting, I intend to turn to the Lord at the first sign that I’m losing focus. I will seek Jesus and find the strength I need to triumphantly endure. These are reminders that God is giving me, and I am sharing them with you in the hopes that you are encouraged to seek Jesus first too.

Psalm 29:11, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

• How does time with the Lord strengthen you?

Meandering through the streets of Bordeaux, France, we came upon this small balcony which is situated across from a lovely cathedral. As the bells from the tower rang out, I looked up and the chair in the picture caught my eye. I can only imagine what a sweet blessing and encouragement it must be to sit and enjoy the melodious sounds in such a peaceful setting. It is a perfect place to pause and seek time with Jesus and draw strength for the day ahead.

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