Strengthen Yourself

Strengthen Yourself
Bayless Conley


For today's devotional, I would like you to read 1 Samuel 6:30 again as it contains another truth I want you to see,


Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.


Notice that this verse begins by saying, David was greatly distressed, but it ends this way, But David strengthened himself in the Lord.


It is all right to weep, but when you are done, you need to strengthen yourself. It is all right to grieve, it is all right to express those emotions, but when you are done, you need to strengthen yourself in the Lord.


You need to connect with God in whatever way you find is best for you. If it is lifting your hands and worshiping Him, then that is what you should do.


If it is getting into His Word (which I would suggest for everyone) and spending time feeding your spirit, then do that. If it is reminding yourself about how God has helped you in the past, you need to do that.


Personally I believe that is what David was doing when the Bible says he "strengthened himself in the Lord." I think David was reminding himself about:


· How God delivered him from the lion and the bear;


· How God delivered Goliath into his hands; and


· How God delivered him when Saul tried to kill him.


I am confident David was thinking, "You know, God hasn't delivered me so miraculously in my past to get to this point and to let go of my hand and abandon me. I know He is going to help me now."


David was strengthening himself in the Lord, and you need to learn to do the same thing.


Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God.

 

Today's Scripture Reading

Daniel and the Lions  -- Daniel Chapter 6


So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

 

 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.  Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.




At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”


 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!  My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”   The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.






Daniel's Dream about Four Animals -Daniel Chapter 7


Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.  Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.




The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.


“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’




“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.


“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns....


STORMS





When the storms of life come
He won't let us go
He'll carry us through every fight
and every long night
He remains faithful and true
Even when we aren't faithful to Him.


His love will carry us through every storm
Every trial and every drought
Every season His love never lets go