Be Strong

"Be men of courage; Be strong." (1 Cor 16:13)

My devotional today really got me thinking. In today's world, we are seldom encouraged to "be strong." Instead, there always seems to be a way out, an easier way to do things or an excuse. This way of thinking carries over into our prayer lives. When our days get stressful or relationships get rough, we often pray that life will get simpler. "Just make it go away, God."

How tragic this must be to God. Here he stands on the throne of the Universe, with more power than we can possibly imagine, waiting to unleash that power and strength to us - and we pray against it. We choose not to witness for ourselves and display to others the "strength beyond measure" that God has for us.

The Proverbs 31 woman often seems so unattainable to me. This woman gets up before sunrise and she works her tail off. She serves her children, her husband and even those outside her home. She does business. She sews. She cooks. She speaks wisdom. She is never idle. She respects her husband and she loves her children. She is not stressed or worried, but "laughs at the days to come." The girl has energy! She "is clothed with strength" (Prov 31:25).

We know we are not born with that kind of strength. So I believe the biggest attribute of the Proverbs 31 woman is that she surely was not afraid to pray for strength. And apparently, God never held it back from her. God tells us that "your strength will equal your days" (Deut 33:25) The well of strength never runs dry for us as children of God. Why don't we drink from it? Why are we so afraid to ask to be strong instead of asking for a way out?

Lord, make me strong. When life seems to be out to get me, let me resist the temptation to pray for shelter - instead, clothe me with strength.