We need God’s strength moment by moment, don’t’ we? We need it physically, emotionally and spiritually. When we read about being strengthened by His glorious power, we often think of being strengthened to do mighty works and miracles. But in this Scripture God specifically tells us why He strengthens us. He strengthens us to be patient and longsuffering in our daily tasks – and joyful too! Now that’s different to what we expected, isn’t it?

The MLB translates it, "unlimited patience"! Wow! We have no patience of ourselves, but God’s patience is unlimited. God has promised to touch us with His glorious power so we can exercise His unlimited patience in our lives.

This reminds me of James 1:3,4, "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." The strange thing is, most of the time we are not patient enough to let patience have its full work! We give up before God has finished working out in our lives what He wants to accomplish.

I love how The Living Bible puts it, "When the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete."

Dear mother, don’t despair when everything is going wrong. Rejoice. Let God work out His patience in you. This is how He will make you strong in character. God doesn’t want to do a half-work in you, but a full-grown work!

I wonder what will happen in your life this week? I’m sure there will be opportunities for God to work His patience in you. Be watching for them and don’t hinder God doing what He wants to do in your life.

Love in Jesus, NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Lord, You are full of patience – and You live in me! Thank you that You are working out your patience in me each day. Help me to let You do your full work in my life. Amen."

Isaiah 30:18, "Therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him."

My dear friend, can I let you in on a little secret? To walk with God you will need to learn how to wait. God is a God who waits! He waits to answer our prayers. He waits to be gracious to us. He waits for His right time to bring deliverance to us.

Oh how hard it is to wait. We don’t like it. We want to have our prayers answered immediately. We want things to work out the way we want them right now. We are impatient because we live in time. But dear friend, God doesn’t live in time. He lives in the eternal world. He governs the world from an eternal perspective. He watches over our lives from the eternal realm. And He knows what He is doing. He has everything in control. He is never too early and never a day too late.

Because God is a Father, He shows His father heart to us when we are first born into His family. When we become a believer, we are born again into the family of God and are little babes in Christ. God ministers to us as a baby. He meets all our needs and answers all our prayers in the same way we constantly minister to the needs of our little nursing baby.

Of course, we would be distraught if our little baby didn’t grow up and learn to do things for himself. As our children grow older, we don’t continue to run to their every need. God also wants us to grow and mature. He wants our faith to be purified. He wants us to learn to trust Him and love Him, not for what He does for us but for who He is.

Do you want to grow and mature in your faith? Then learn to wait. Deliberately quieten your restless heart and wait for Him. Trust Him. He hasn’t forgotten you. He longs to be gracious to you and show you His compassion but He knows that you will grow stronger and more mature as you learn to wait. If you keep jumping up and down and demanding God to do what you want Him to do immediately, you are still in the baby stage.

Wait for God to bring His answers to you. They don’t always come quickly. Often we don’t receive God’s answer because we don’t wait long enough. Wait for God’s provision. When you need something, don’t rush out and buy it immediately. Have patience and wait. Give God time to show His provision. You will be amazed at how God will provide if you give Him time!

How should you wait?

1. Patiently.

Psalm 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 40:1) This is only a little verse but if you put it into practice, it will work wonders in your life. You might like to print this verse out and pin it up where you can see it all through the day. You might like to make it a memory verse for the whole family.

2. Quietly.

Lamentations 3:26 says, "It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

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As you learn to wait, dear mother, it will bring a rest to your soul. It will bring rest into your home. Also, as your children observe your example, they too will learn how to wait. This is an experience that many modern day children have never learned. They are used to getting whatever they want when they want it. In doing so, they don’t experience the feeling of the "longing and expectation of waiting." They miss out on the "wonder" of this feeling.

As a child I can remember the longing and anticipation I felt as we waited from one Christmas to the next to receive our Christmas gifts. We didn’t get things through the year. Christmas was the time we received gifts from our parents and loved ones. As a child it seemed an eternity to wait from one Christmas to the next. The anticipation was hardly bearable. But it made the receiving of the gifts incredibly exciting. The joy was heightened and intensified because of the anticipation and waiting.

The Bible also talks about the expectation of waiting. Psalm 62:5, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."

Waiting is good for the soul and good for the character.

There are two different aspects to waiting: waiting for God and waiting on God. We have been talking about waiting for God. What about waiting on God? I believe this means to look up to the Lord in every circumstance of our life and each moment of the day. Instead of looking at the problem, look up to the Lord in expectation. Keep your eyes upon Him. Rely on Him, not on your own judgment or intelligence. How often should we do this?

1. All day long!

Psalm 25:5, "On thee do I wait all the day."

2. Continually!

Hosea 6:12, "Wait on thy God continually."

It’s a lifestyle of waiting on the Lord. Would you like to start making this a habit of your life? Start today. Start right now.

Look at all the blessings you will receive as you live this lifestyle.

1. You will not be ashamed. God will never let you down. Psalm 25:3; Isaiah 49:23.

2. You will inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9.

3. You will be blessed. Isaiah 30:18.

4. God will strengthen your heart. Psalm 27:14.

5. God will be your help and shield. Psalm 33:20.

6. God will save you. Proverbs 20:22; Isaiah 25:9.

7. God will renew your strength. Isaiah 40:31.

8. God will be good to you. Lamentations 3:25.

And you’ve just got to read Isaiah 64:4, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."

May you be a woman who knows how to wait.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Lord, teach me how to wait on you. Help me to quietly wait in patience for your perfect answer. Save me from aborting what you want to do in my life and the life of my family. Lead me into a lifestyle of waiting upon you continually. Amen."

QUOTE:

Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God."

P.S.

Check out the poem about called "Wait" on the "Weekly Poem for Mothers." It will really bless you.

Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is the strength of my life."

Dear mother, what do you do when you run out of strength, as I am sure you often do? Where do you go?

Did you know that you have another resource when your strength wanes? Yes, it is in your God. He is your Strength. In fact, He is more than your strength. He is your EVERLASTING STRENGTH. His strength never runs out. It is inexhaustible. You can draw from it at any moment you wish. It is always available for you.

Isaiah 26:3-4, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is EVERLASTING STRENGTH."

I remember one time when our six children were little and I had many other things pressing upon me. I felt as though it was more than my strength could handle. Have you ever felt like that?

I awoke in the morning to have my Bible reading and prayer which is a habit of my life, and I poured out my inadequacies to the Lord. As I read, I was amazed! It was exactly how I was feeling. My reading was in 2 Corinthians Chapter 1 and I couldn't believe it when I got to verse eight. "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life."

Wow, that was just how I felt. I was pressed out of measure. It was more than my strength could take, although I hadn’t got to despairing of life!

What did Paul do when he was in this situation? I kept reading..."But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raised the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us..."

At that moment, God gave me a revelation. I saw the light. I realized that I was trusting in myself instead of His strength! Of course, my resources were not enough to carry me through. I repented. "I'm sorry, Lord," I cried, "I repent that I have been trusting in my own strength. I have forgotten to trust in your everlasting strength. I have forgotten that you are my Deliverer. I have forgotten that you are my Refuge. You are my Rock on whom I can lean. You are my Strength. You are my Song. You are my Hope! I hand everything over to you. It is yours. I trust you. Thank you, Lord."

As I did this, a great peace swept over my soul. Although this was years ago, I can still remember that later in that day I tried to think of all those problems that were weighing me down. Can you believe it? I couldn't even think of one of them! It's just amazing the difference that comes to us when we put our trust in the Lord instead of ourselves, isn't it? So many of our worries, depressions, fears and frustrations are simply because we try to do it on our own and trust in our own strength.

God is waiting for us to rely on His strength. We will never be ashamed if we put our trust in the Lord. Don't try to carry all the burdens of the day yourself. Roll your burdens upon the Lord. He has promised to sustain you and His promises never fail.

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HE IS THE STRENGTH OF YOUR LIFE

I love Psalm 27:1 where David exclaims, "The Lord is the strength of my life." Oh what a wonderful confession. Why don’t you make this your confession? Say these words out loud right now. Say them again. And again. Believe them. Receive the truth of them into your life. These words are true. God is the source of your strength.

Over and over again, David confesses that God is His strength. He didn’t rely on his own strength, but trusted in God’s unfailing strength. As you also continually make this confession, you will experience God’s strength in your life. In fact, "my Strength" is one of the names that David and others in the Bible called God.

Psalm 18:1-2, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength." (Exodus 15:2; Psalm 19:14; 28:7; 31:4; 43:2; 46:1-3; 59:17; 62:7; 118:14; 144:1; Isaiah 12:2; Habakkuk 3:19)

Psalm 18:32, "It is God that girds me with strength."

Psalm 68:35, "The God of Israel is he that gives strength and power unto his people."

HE IS THE STRENGTH OF YOUR HEART

God is not only the strength of your life, but also the strength of your heart. When your heart fails for fear, God will strengthen you. When your heart is breaking, God will strengthen your heart. When your heart is sad and lonely, God will come to strengthen you.

Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart."

Psalm 31:24, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."

Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever."

Isaiah 35:4, "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come…He will come and save you."

HE IS THE STRENGTH OF YOUR SOUL

Do you feel weak and spineless? God will make you strong on the inside so you will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and the deceptions of society that are all around you.

Psalm 138: 3, "In the day when I cried thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul."

Ephesians 3:16, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."

Make this your constant confession throughout this week. Continually speak these words out loud, "The Lord is the strength of my life."

Love from Nancy Campbell

PRAYER:

"Lord, I confess that you are the strength of my life. Thank you for your strength that you freely give to me. Thank you that it is available to me moment by moment. I receive it and acknowledge it. I thank you that I can face all that I have to do today because of your strength. Oh, Lord, I thank you that your strength is inexhaustible. It never runs out. It is so wonderful to know that I can come to you at any time and draw from your everlasting strength. Thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen."

QUOTE:

I’m going to have to say it again….

"THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE!"

2 Chronicles 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."

GOD GIVES STRENGTH FOR EACH NEW DAY

Deuteronomy 33:1,24,25. "This is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel.... Let Asher be blessed with children... and as thy days, so shall thy strength be."

A few years back I noticed this Scripture in its TRUE CONTEXT! Immediately after the 'blessing promise' that Asher would be blessed with children, comes the promise, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." As God blessed Asher's family with children, so He provided daily strength and wisdom for the task!

This promise is tailor made for parenting. You may be thinking, "I can’t cope with caring for my children." Or "How on earth could I ever cope with another child?" But God has promised that when He blesses you with a child that He will give you the strength and enabling to care for this precious child. He will give new strength for each new day. He doesn't give the strength and ability before the baby arrives, but when this blessing comes from Heaven, He sends His daily strength. Isn't that wonderful?

Whatever responsibilities loom ahead of you and you wonder how you will cope, don’t despair. God will not give you the strength before you need it. When you face the task – and you cast yourself upon Him and trust in His strength and His resources, you will find that God’s strength will be your portion.

Don’t worry about strength for tomorrow. Trust God for strength for today. You only have to get through today! Tomorrow God will come again and refresh you and renew you with His strength.

Matthew 6:34TLB, "Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time."

GOD GIVES STRENGTH FOR THE BATTLE

Maybe you are going through a battle in your life. Claim God’s word. He has promised to arm you with strength for the battle. He doesn’t give you the strength before you face the battle, but when you face it, He will be right there with you!

Psalm 18:39, "Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle."

GOD GIVES STRENGTH IN TIME OF TROUBLE

Psalm 37:39, "The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble."

Nahum 1:7, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him."

Dear mother, as you lean on Him each new day, God will be …

Your Strong tower, Psalm 61:3

Your Strong habitation, Psalm 71:3

Your Strong refuge, Psalm 71:7

Your Strong rock, Psalm 31:2

Your Strong arm, Psalm 89:10, 21; Isaiah 33:2; Luke 1:51.

Your Strong hand, Psalm 89:13, 136:12; Isaiah 40:10; Jeremiah 32:21

God’s strength will be yours for today.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Oh, Lord, I thank you that I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I trust you for today. I thank you for your strength for all my needs today. I thank you that tomorrow you will give me new strength for whatever need I have. Lord, I thank you that whatever difficulty or pain I have to endure, that I can endure it in your strength. Lord, I thank you that you have promised to give me daily strength – new strength each day – for nurture the children you have given me and the children you plan to give me. Oh I thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen."

QUOTE:

Dear mother, here’s Isaiah 41:10 for you. It has seven promises in this one verse – one for each day of this coming week.

"Fear not on Sunday,

I am with you on Monday,

Be not dismayed on Tuesday,

I am your God on Wednesday,

I will strengthen you on Thursday,

Yes, I will help you on Friday.