Strong in the Lord: When We’re Weak, We’re Strong

by Marilynn Chadwick

Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue (1 Samuel 30:8 ESV). 

God is near to the broken hearted. He loves us when we’re weak. But he wants to make us strong. It’s not hard to embrace the concept that God is close to us when we suffer. After all, we love our own children and hold them close when they’re in pain.

We may secretly wonder whether God wants us to remain weak, so we’ll be more dependent upon him. That’s like saying that as a mom, I would rather my children be sick and wounded so they’ll want to hang onto me more. Of course not! I want to help them return to strength so they can live their lives to the fullest.

But I have to admit. I have experienced God’s greatest strength during times when I am broken. I would never have known Jesus as healer if I hadn’t gone through years of infertility and the subsequent healing that resulted in our three children. Nor could I have comprehended God’s mighty power if I hadn’t seen him set me free from stubborn fears. And of course, I could never have grasped his saving grace if I hadn’t come face to face with my condition as a sinner. Perhaps you have your own stories.

Over the next several days, we’ll learn how others have experienced God’s power during times of weakness. We can draw strength from their stories and practical tips from those who have experienced God's strength firsthand.

Let's take a few minutes to reflect further upon David’s encounter with God in 1 Samuel 30. 

We saw in yesterday’s post how, upon returning from battle, David and his mighty men were horrified to find their village raided and burned, their wives and children taken captive by the violent Amalekites. David and his men “wept until they had no more strength to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4). Can you imagine the sound? The despair? The men were so distressed they talked of stoning David. 

What would you do under these circumstances? Where would you turn for strength? Let’s look again at David as our example. One simple sentence says it all: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v. 6).

After seeking the Lord, David receives this answer from the Lord, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue” (v.8). Which is exactly what happened. David and his men defeated the Amalekites and returned with all their family members safe and sound, along with everything that had been stolen. Their victory was triumphant! 

I keep returning to this simple question: How do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord? Perhaps we can now better understand what Paul meant when he said, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Strong in the Lord: Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

by Marilynn Chadwick

David strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6 ESV).

Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen. We reach the end of our strength. We’ve played out; hit a wall. Maybe you can relate to what I’m talking about. When we’re worn out, our state of mind is affected. Even our faith can falter. As someone once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Add to that the increasingly busy lives most of us lead, and you have a sure-fire recipe for exhaustion—and the discouragement that often follows close on its heels.

For the next two weeks, our focus will be on how to be strong in the Lord. How to increase our strength. How to find strength and keep it. How to make good use of it. How to receive it from God. God loves us when we are weak, but he wants to make us strong.

The Bible is honest about human frailty, revealing stories of men and women who reached the end of their strength. But it also shares secrets of how they found strength in God. Scripture tells how David “strengthened himself in the Lord” after a marauding army of Amalekites raided his village and captured all the women and children (1 Samuel 30:6 ESV). God empowered David and his mighty men to regain all they had lost.

I’ve been thinking back to times in my own life when I've wanted to give up. When tough times hit, how do I draw strength from God? Here are a few simple ways that have worked for me:

I literally go into my room (or my car) and shut the door. Often, I’ll turn my devices off, so I won’t even hear the “ding” from someone trying to contact me. It was Jesus himself who reminded his disciples to “go into your room and shut the door” when praying to God (Matthew 6:6). I take out my Bible and dig in. I'm alert to God’s words which speak directly to my heart, reveal an area of sin, provide wisdom for a tricky problem, or add fire to a dream.

As I read, I commit whatever weighs heavy to the Lord in prayer. By pouring over God’s Word, I notice promises that shed light on my situation and give me hope. I can almost feel my faith re-fire. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV).

Finally, I keep watch throughout the day to notice signs of God at work. I look for subtle ways he may begin to answer my prayers or fill me with fresh strength. I remember to thank and praise him, which in turn, strengthens my faith and breathes life into my tired soul.

Scripture encourages us to seek God daily and live with this kind of expectant hope:  

“In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice; In the morning I will present my prayer to you and be on the watch”

Psalm 5:3 NASB. 

So, I’m curious. How do you strengthen yourself in the Lord?

Entertaining Angels: The Freeway Angel

by Marilynn Chadwick

The Bible says angels are God’s “ministering spirits” sent to serve the followers of Jesus (Hebrews 1:14). They deliver his messages and give help when needed. But Scripture also reveals how they provide protection. Scripture reminds us how the angel of the Lord “encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7 NIV). 

One clue about whether we’ve encountered an angel might be if we are unexplainably delivered from danger. Many years ago, a mysterious helper showed up during a scary situation—just when I needed him. And while I cannot say for sure the man was an angel, neither can I say for sure that he was not. 

David and I had been serving our church for a couple years. This was well before we had children. I was driving my regular freeway commute to UNCC, where I was working on my master’s degree in counseling. Our cars were old—so old we gave them names to add a little character. David drove “Big Blue,” a high-mileage, oversized Oldsmobile. I drove a clunky, yellow Ford sedan, which I had nicknamed “The Banana.” Speeding down the freeway in “The Banana” that morning, my mind was occupied with my big research paper that was due.

All of a sudden, my car made a weird noise and smoke began to spew from under the hood. I quickly pulled over to the side of the freeway. I was afraid to get out—nervous as speeding cars whizzed by. This was before the days of cell phones. I tried to calm down. I would need to walk to the nearest exit and find a payphone. I tried not to think of stories I had heard of women being attacked by “helpful “strangers when their cars broke down.

Suddenly a car pulled off the road right behind me on the freeway shoulder. A man got out and came around to my window. He immediately took control of the situation. I do not remember being one bit scared—even though I was a young woman in a vulnerable position.    

He said, “Miss, your water pump just burst. You can’t drive far with that thing steaming like it is.” He never opened the hood, so how did he know it was my water pump? He went on, “Good thing I have a friend who has an auto repair shop just off the next exit. Follow me.”

Waiting for a break in the traffic, he pulled his car around in front of me and I slowly followed him to the next exit. Sure enough, there was a small car repair shop at the end of the ramp. The man quickly hopped out of his car and went to find the owner. The mechanic on duty got me fixed right up. I had a brand new water pump—and everything was taken care of in plenty of time for me to turn in my paper at school. But where was the kind stranger? He was nowhere to be found, so I couldn’t even thank him.  

It was only later, when I reflected on the series of coincidences, that I began to wonder about the man. How did he “happen” to be following along behind my car—and how did he manage to pull off the freeway so close behind me? How did he know my water pump was the problem when he never opened the hood of my car? How did he know the exit was nearby and how did he know a mechanic was available in the car shop? And why did he leave before I could thank him? Could he have possibly been an angel? I’ll never know. Whether he was simply a servant-hearted human who happened to be in the right place at the right time or a heavenly “angel on assignment,” the story reminds me that God loves me. He is in control of my life. And he is always a step ahead!