Strength
By Tracy Smith
“But those who
hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Last
December, I wrote a devotional called “Refuge.” In it, I talked about how “God
as my refuge” was the aspect of God
that was revealed to me in 2011. At the end I posed the question, “I wonder
what aspect of God will be revealed to me in 2012?”
As
I now reflect on 2012, I would say the answer is - - God as my strength.
There
were many different challenges this year - - from needing minor surgery in
February to my husband being diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma in August.
Along with those health issues are the continuing struggles and triumphs with my
OCD.
Through
it all, whenever I felt overwhelmed or scared, I looked to the Lord for my
strength. Whenever I tried to do it through my own power, I inevitably failed,
fell down and needed some help to rise. Making it through on my own was not an
option. Having the Lord as my strength was the only way to make it through the
different struggles. There were days I know I was not walking on my own power,
but only through the Lord carrying me through.
As
Isaiah 40:31 states, with the Lord renewing your strength, you can run and not
be weary and walk and not be faint. It was when I tried to do things on my own
that I felt weary, faint and discouraged.
As
Christmas draws closer, I am so very thankful for my Savior and His love for us
in that He would come to restore our relationship with Him.
Jesus
as my strength - - again, I wonder what aspect of God will be revealed to me in
2013?
GOING
DEEPER
1.
What attribute of God have you seen this past year?
2.
What can you do to prepare your heart for what God will teach you in 2013?
FURTHER
READING
Along
with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant
at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and leads a
great group of Junior High girls.
