“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).
TEXT — Isaiah 12:1-6
Message
In engineering, strength is considered a critical property because it helps ensure that a structure or component can withstand the load and stress placed on it during its intended use. Similarly, life comes with inevitable tests, trials, temptations and troubles. No man can successfully go through it alone. You need the strength that comes from God.
In our text, Isaiah prophesied that God’s people would praise Him for forgiving and comforting them and becoming their salvation and strength. We can say with the psalmist, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea”. Indeed, God is called “the Strength of Israel” (1 Samuel 15:29), and we can depend on Him in difficult times.
Realising that God is our strength buoys our confidence and elicits praise. The strength that He gives at the point of salvation is the essential empowerment to go through life victorious, despite ensuing challenges. Walking closely with God gives us more strength. But we must first thirst for God and seek more of His strength. A complete and daily dependence on Him for strength is the antidote to discouragement and defeat.
When we pray and dedicate our lives to God, He will sanctify and baptize us in the Holy Spirit so that we can serve Him faithfully and fruitfully. While sanctification strengthens us to overcome inner corruption, baptism in the Holy Spirit prepares us for service. The business of soul-winning and other services we are called to provide in the kingdom of God can only be accomplished by the strength of the Lord
Thought for the day
Human power has limitations, but divine power is all-sufficient.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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