April 1 Day 23
Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
REFLECTION
On day 21 we pondered the concept of “waiting for the Lord”. Today, let’s look more closely at the meaning of strength and courage as Christ’s disciples.
To be strong is to be able to move heavy weights or withstand great force or pressure. Christian strength is reflected in our ability do and achieve great things: to carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ, to serve others sacrificially, to die to our old lives and submit to the renewing power of God’s Spirit, or to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. It takes strength to withstand the great pressure of our own selfish nature. We are strong when we resist temptation and are fearless in our rejection of worldly messages that oppose God.
To be courageous is not to be without fear…but to overcome the natural anxieties and seemingly hopeless times of our lives. We can take heart in the fact the God is sovereign and his will perfect. There is a reason that God calls us to “not be afraid” more than any other commandment in scripture! God spoke fearlessness to his prophets, and the angelic messengers repeated the refrain relentlessly. When we look closely into our lives and find that we lack the ability to overcome our own fears we are finally able to commit to a faith in God that displaces fear with hope, love, and peace.
PRAYER: Creator God, we are broken vessels that are neither strong enough nor courageous enough to find true peace and hope in this life. We know that now, and turn to you for the strength and courage to more through this world depending on your gifts of love, peace, hope, and grace…and finding there great power to do and to be disciples of your Son, our Savior, Jesus. AMEN
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