Thoughts from the Past -- Strength Only God Can Give

June 8, 2008

Strength Only God Can Give

Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Not long ago, while going through a time when I was feeling quite strained in some ways, the Lord brought this verse to my attention. I "happened" to be reading Colossians 1 starting into a week when I really needed this verse. Isn't it amazing, even a luxurious comfort, to see how the Lord does this kind of thing for us? He truly is a kind and careful father. (Psalm 103:13-14)

The thing that particularly impressed me is that strengthening with all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness can only come from the Lord. There are people who are what we would call naturally strong or patient or longsuffering. But this goes beyond that. It is all patience. Wow, how tough is that? Humanly, it's impossible. And, it's all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness! This kind of strengthening can only come from God's glorious power! Human power has too many limits to produce such amazing results.

True, this is hard to live by. I don't know anyone who has this mastered completely, and some of us struggle with it much more than others. But, through our relationship to God in Christ Jesus, this kind of strength is available, and Paul was bold to request it on behalf of the Colossians. What a great thing to pray for our fellow believers, especially when they are going through a hard time. What a great thing to pray for ourselves! But, most of all, what a great and wonderful Father we have who can and will provide such miraculous ability to His own children!

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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First published here May 2012.

Evening Song - The Sweet By and By on Guitar

A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. She played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down, as she was left-handed.^[2] This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking". [Source]

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May Joy Be Thine – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

The Springtime joy be thine:---
Joy of the wind across vast spaces sweeping
And like a giant on the forest leaping;
Joy of the trees from slumber rudely shaken,
From dreams of living unto life to waken;
Joy of the little bird that flies and sings
For very rapture of its song and wings;
Joy of the stream, whose penthouse roof of snow
Muffles no more its glad, impetuous flow;
Joy of the silver showers that gleam and pass
And leave a trail of green o'er tree and grass;
Joy of the mounting sap, the bursting seed,
The joy of life from death's dominion freed;---
    This joy be thine.

    The [Resurrection] joy be thine:---
The joy of those who, weeping
Because their dead, in straitened chambers sleeping,
    Have left them for a while,
Yet know, that loosed from all earth's tribulations
They have passed on to heavenly habitations,
  To Life eternal and the Father's smile;
    The joy of those who hear
    Beyond all doubt and fear,
Through jarring echoes of discordant strife,
    That one Voice sounding clear:---
"I am the Resurrection and the Life;
    They who believe on Me
    From death's dark thrall I free;
I drank that bitter cup, I passed that gloomy door,
Through that lone valley I have gone before,
Because I live, they live for evermore."
    This joy be thine.

- Annie Johnson Flint [altered]

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Cades Cove, Tenn. (Great Smoky Mts.)

First published here 4/12.

Evening Song - Thine Be The Glory

Luke 24:5-6 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

Evening Song - His Robes for Mine

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

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A Bit of Red to Remember

The Maker of the universe, as man for man was made a curse.
The claims of law which He had made, unto the uttermost He paid.
His holy fingers made the bough which grew the thorns that crowned His brow.
The nails that pierced His hands were mined in secret places He designed.
He made the forest whence there sprung the tree on which His body hung.
He died upon a cross of wood, yet made the hill on which it stood.
The sky that darkened o’er His head, by Him above the earth was spread.
The sun that hid Him from God’s face, by His decree was poised in space.
The spear which spilled His precious blood was tempered in the fires of God.
The grave in which His form was laid was hewn in rocks His hands had made.
The throne on which He now appears was His from everlasting years.
But a new glory crowns His brow, and every knee to Him shall bow.
       –F.W. Pitt

Red Honeysuckle 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Poppies

Revelation 1:4-6 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

Thinking On God's Deep Love - A Musical Meditation

Ephesians 3:17-21 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

1 Peter 1:7-9 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...




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From Mom's Collection - Behold Your King Cometh...

Here is a selection that is appropriate to this day. This comes from my mom's collection of bits and pieces and I have added some thoughts of my own.
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Matthew 21:5-11 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Characteristic of many of the mighty rulers of history have been their pride and arrogance, their ostentatious display of power and riches. As a consequence they were generally more feared than loved by the rank and file of their subjects.

In sharp contrast to such sovereigns of the world stands the Ruler of them all, the King of kings and Lord of lords...

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - So High the Price

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

The Thousand Word Project - Rejoice!

Short Thoughts - Courageous vs. Gorgeous

Sometime back I was looking for a mug to send to a lady who happens to have lupus. I have known someone personally who has lupus and I know it's a tough illness to deal with. Many days are an uphill battle all day. There is pain and suffering and medications that make life hard at times, and there is depression from the constant struggle. The spiritual battle must be immense.

I was browsing on Amazon looking for something to send this lady when I misread a mug that said "Hello, Gorgeous."  I thought it read, "Hello, Courageous." When I realized my mistake I wondered, "Well, why not courageous?" I would rather be more courageous than gorgeous.

Why is it that women seem to need to be told they're beautiful or "sexy" so much? Why not remind a lady who has a hard fight every day of her life that she is courageous? Because, you know she has to be or she wouldn't have made it this far. Why don't we encourage attitudes and actions of real value instead of vain things like beauty and external attributes? Physical strength, beauty, attractiveness - they are all so temporary.

God put this in His word for our learning and use: Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 

True strength and courage come from the Lord.

Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

Beauty and external charms all perish along the road of life at some point. It is the hidden man that is renewed day by day and it is the adornments of that inner man that are of value in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;
Under the standard exalted and royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee.
-- Frances R. Havergal

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Painting by Childe Hassam

Evening Song - Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery

Romans 16:25-27 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

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FREE Scripture Graphic - Faithful and Vintage Flowers

Here is another vintage graphic that I found somewhere online. I made some changes and added the verse - a hobby that I enjoy very much. :-) You can save the image from here, but it will not be very high quality.  You can get it in higher quality if you go and download it here. (Use the download button in the lower right corner.)

If you wish to use this online, please do not link to the graphic from either of my locations. Save it to your own computer and then upload it to the place where you store graphics online for you own use. Thank you.

[Note: It's OK to link the graphic from here only if you are sharing the link to this specific post on my blog - either on your own blog or in social media.] :-)

Enjoy!

Tennessee Memories - Ornamental Almond