Pressing Through

My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. – Psalms 73:26 (KJV)

My heart does fail. Sometimes, things are just too hard for this heart of flesh to comprehend. Some things are beyond my human ability to understand, let alone overcome. I don’t have all the answers and there’s nothing in this world that helps me attain any level of satisfaction in the circumstances that stand stark before me, staring me down, trying to intimidate and defeat me at my core. With these things steadily attacking my very will to keep battling, my humanness fails me every time.

But God. Two of my favorite words in the Bible. So strong when joined together in that way. They always mark a turning point!                             

But GOD is the strength of my heart and HE is my portion FOREVER. My heart, in my power, doesn’t have what it takes to withstand anything. It’s GOD who provides the strength I need…that sheer will to keep fighting…that determination to continue to press onward, knowing He is present despite what circumstances may appear to be. He is the victor who brings the victory. He is my Comforter, my Redeemer, my faithful Friend. He completes me. He gives me everything I need to be able to dig in my heels and press into fierce onslaught of attacks from the enemy. He is my portion…my inheritance…my blood-bought freedom from oppression, depression, sickness, disease, lack, and fear.

Though I may fail, He never will. I just have to keep remembering that truth and waiting on Him, using the strength He has already provided me for just such an occasion. The peace that He then gives me is a peace that surpasses human understanding…it’s so sweet and so complete.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27 (NIV)

The peace that comes from Jesus in our times of need, it’s unlike the feeble attempts of the world to offer peace. What He has to offer lacks nothing. It doesn’t come and go; it’s steady and firm. And, in the giving of that gift to us, Jesus tells us not to LET our hearts be troubled and DON’T BE afraid. These are choices that we make…opportunities to respond, through our words and our actions, to the situations in our lives. We may not have control over everything that happens, but we DO have control over our responses to these things. We must choose His perfect peace. We must choose to be untroubled and unafraid.

He gives us strength to endure and He gives us peace that makes no sense in natural realm. All we have to do is simply believe that the words He says are true. If we believe the Bible…really believe the Bible…and if we really trust the Lord, then we have no choice but to  trust that His plans for us are good…that He has all of our situations completely under control. Believing shuts our mouths when we want to speak fear. Believing helps us be peaceful on the inside though the world may be in calamity all around us. Believing requires us to walk out our faith in these failed, fleshy forms…to be lead by the still, small voice as the lies of the enemy are being screamed into our ears. When hell comes knocking, we must confidently proceed with life, knowing that God–the author and finisher of our faith–has already worked out all of the details.

Moving on.