O my Strength

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I needed to read this today. I was praying in tears asking God to just speak to my heart what He had to say to me and remind me of what I am forgetting. Yesterday I was an emotional wreck, today I'm pressing on.

The human self is so strange, I'm all pathos while my logos is saying, "you know you're being irrational" I hate how pathos takes control. It is so weird to be so divided, because logically it doesn't make sense why I feel so sad, but apparently my pathos/feelings take the dominant role. It's tough being a woman. Satan knows the best way to attack my kind too, go for the pathos. I am perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. Mean world, I will never be your victim. I will fight you full force with my God and my Saviour on my side. My God who turns our curse into blessings who gives us strength so that WE will be empowered. "Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places." Deuteronomy 33:29 God doesn't just deliver us He empowers us. He wants to make demons tremble before you. Ever wonder if God wants to get the job done why He uses us to do it and not just do it Himself? He does it to show us that we can do it, that with His strength we have the power to make our enemies cower before us. God doesn't just deliver us He empowers us!

Mean world, I will not be your victim I will fight you, my God who empowers me to do so and my Saviour who has overcome you. "I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Brothers and Sisters, we are not meant to be victims of this world, we are meant to fight against this world.

"I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." 1 Timothy 1:18-19

We are to fight, THE good fight.

Mean world, I will not let you harden my heart, you may wound it, hurt it, break it, but you can never destroy it. My heart belongs to God and He is the only one who gives me the strength to love in ways I could never love if I relied on events, people, circumstances, or myself. No matter how much you may wring my heart, it will remain soft. I will not let you turn me into stone. I am alive and free, my identity is within Christ and I don't need to guard it, it is already secure.

"O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God"

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God."

Psalm 59:9,16-17