Thursday, February 28, 2013

You've Got the Gas!


About 15 years ago I decided to build a deck on the back of my house.   It was just a simple deck; nothing elaborate, no intricate detail, no fancy cuts…just a deck.  Little did I know that I picked the hottest day in July.  The thermometer read 96 degrees, the humidity was in the upper 90s, the sun was blistering hot and there was not a cloud in the sky.  By noon, I was 10 pounds lighter, two shades darker and my energy and strength had evaporated faster than the sweat that was dripping off me.  By dinner time the 2 pound hammer felt like I was swinging a 50 pound sledge.  By the time I hit the bed, my strength was gone.   
 
The next day was Sunday and when I awoke I seem to have a renewed sense of energy, life and strength.   In that moment I was reminded of Deuteronomy 33:25, it says, “The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days” (emphasis mine).  Think about that for a moment.

If you’re like me, you’ve read that passage many times and have glossed over an incredible promise, “…your strength will equal your days.”  Nestled in that long wordy blessing by Moses in chapter 33 is a promise of God, that my strength will equal my day.  Have you stopped to think about what that really means?  If you haven’t, consider this.  First, it means that no matter what you face today, God has already proportioned the strength you will need to face it.  You will have the strength to face whatever this day brings, without fail.   Count on it.

Secondly, it means you do not need to worry about what tomorrow may bring, because God is already there.  God has already allotted the strength you will need in order to face tomorrow’s challenges.  The strength of tomorrow has already been put aside for you and will be graciously lavished on you, tomorrow.  What about the next day?  Same thing!  That strength has been portioned out and will, when the time is ready, be given to you. 

Finally, what all this tells us is this…God loves you!  Remember these words, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).  God loves you, he cares for you because you matter to Him.  And because you matter, He will provide, just as He provides food for the birds, the strength you need, today, tomorrow…and so on and so on. 

So when you hear yourself say, “I don’t have the strength to go on!”   Sure you do.  When you feel that you don’t have the strength to face another moment, say to yourself, “Sure I do!”  How do I know?  Because Deuteronomy 33:25 says so, “…YOUR STRENGTH WILL EQUAL YOUR DAYS!”  Go and do…you’ve got the fuel to do it.  AMEN!