Streams in the Desert - Jun 27

by L. B. E. Cowman and Jim Reimann

Featured photo

Summon your power, O God; show us your strength. (Psalm 68: 28)


The Lord imparts to me the underlying strength of character that gives me the necessary energy and decision-making ability to live my life. He strengthens me “with power through his Spirit in [my] inner being” (Eph. 3: 16). And the strength He gives is continuous, for He is a source of power I cannot exhaust.

“Your strength will equal your days” (Deut. 33: 25)— my strength of will, affection, judgment, ideals, and achievement will last a lifetime.

“The Lord is my strength” (Ex. 15: 2) to go on. He gives me the power to walk the long, straight, and level path, even when the monotonous way has no turns or curves offering pleasant surprises and when my spirit is depressed with the terrible drudgery.

“The Lord is my strength” to go up. He is my power to climb the straight and narrow path up the Hill of Difficulty, as Christian did in Pilgrim’s Progress, and not be afraid.

“The Lord is my strength” to go down. It is often once I leave the invigorating heights, where the wind and sunlight have surrounded me, and begin to descend to the more confining, humid, and stifling heat of the valley below that my heart grows faint. In fact, I recently heard someone say, referring to his own increasing physical frailty, “It is coming down that tires me most!”

“The Lord is my strength” to sit still. And what a difficult accomplishment this is! I often say to others during those times when I am compelled to be still, “If only I could do something!” I feel like the mother who stands by her sick child but is powerless to heal. What a severe test! Yet to do nothing except to sit still and wait requires tremendous strength.

“The Lord is my strength!” “Our competence comes from God” (2 Cor. 3: 5).
~from The Silver Lining

Reference

Cowman, L. B. E.; Reimann, Jim (2008-09-09). Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings (pp. 250-251). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Categories: spiritual