Don't Give Up

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am

helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. The Lord

is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Psalm 28:7-8

When you think about strength and what it means in our world today you probably think of things that take a lot of physical strength. Running, lifting weights, crossfit, etc. Yet, strength is so much more than the physical. Strength comes from within. It helps us to keep going, dream bigger, and love deeper. We all have a different measure of strength, yet it is something we all have in common. In the adventure of life it's easy to forget where our strength comes from. It's easy to tell God, "I've got this." It's easy to depend on our own strength alone. During these times that we depend solely on ourselves and draw from the fleshly strength we have we're likely to burn out. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually if we depend on our strength alone we will live life overwhelmed. We may survive for a little bit, but eventually even the small daily tasks will wear us out. This is why the Bible tells us over and over that the Lord is our Strength. It is in Him alone that we're able to push on during the days we feel like giving up. It's in Him alone that we're able to thrive instead of simply survive. So often we get distracted by the ways of the world around us and we get side tracked. We try to do things on our own. We forget about our quiet time with the Lord. We forget to pray. We forget to seek Jesus. We stop letting Him fill us up and we strive to make things happen instead of relying on His strength. The things the Lord asks us to do are never easy and can often cause us to say, "I can't do this anymore." Yet, when we rely solely on His strength giving up is no longer viewed as an option. When we depend on His strength we see His purpose, His heart, and His mission. Sometimes we make things hard simply because we are relying on our own flesh to get things done. If your season has left you overwhelmed and wondering if you should just give up it's time for a heart check. Where are you drawing your strength from? Are you relying on your own knowledge, your own ideas, staying busy just to stay busy? Or are you keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, waiting for Him to move, and resting in Him through the chaos? The first scenario will keep you overwhelmed. The second will keep you refreshed and fueled to keep going strong. God has big plans for you! He wants you to draw your strength from Him. He wants you to partner with Him in His mission. Will you let Him be your strength? Will you let Him give you every thing you need this week? We pray that you would rely on the Lord's strength this week. May you experience His love as you press on, dream bigger, and love deeper this week.