I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song: he has become my salvation. Psalms 118:13-14 ESV
“Are you sure you can do this?” Mike yelled over the sound of the rushing stream.
“No problem, I’ve got confidence!” I shouted back as I finished cutting the trunk of the tree that had fallen in the water. But as the saw sliced through the last inch of bark I realized too late that my calculation was terribly wrong. In a moment I was catapulted head over heels with the running chain saw still in my hand. Mercifully, the saw flew away from my body and I landed chest deep in freezing water. I was embarrassed and unhurt but on the other side of the stream my friend Mike was doubled over in laughter. “I’ve got confidence! I’ve got confidence!” he kept repeating, between peals of uncontrollable laughter!
My problem was not lack of confidence, but that I didn’t think I needed any help. There I was catapulting through the air until God caught me. He was a friend standing by that stream ready to rescue and He will not laugh when we mess up. (Though I sometimes wonder if He chuckles). God promises to be our strength when we ask for help – our song when He gives it and our salvation, when we learn to put our confidence only in Him!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV
My dad was a quiet, yet amazing guy. I learned lessons from my him about finances, faithfulness and keeping a humorous humility about ourselves in the face of difficult circumstances. But what I remember most of all the things he taught me was how to trust in the strength of the Lord.
Dad with our firstborn
In the last week of his life as he lay in the ICU unit, dad didn’t complain much. Instead he seemed most concerned that I understand how to handle the affairs of his home and if I was getting enough rest at night. During that time he often asked to hear the New Testament or Psalms read aloud, and most of all he loved quoting the verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He did not repeat those words with desperation through gritted teeth but with a calm confidence that his Good Shepherd had come to lead him on the last mile of his pathway on earth.
In fact, this verse is a favorite of many of us as we face challenges. Maybe we are starting a new job, wondering where the money will come from to pay the bills or are about to take a final exam. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul gives us these words, not as a skill he was good at, but as a lesson he had learned after experiencing a laundry list of crazy circumstances. He looked back and remembered his successes as well as failures. He talked about his hunger pains from when the cupboard was bare, as well as the wonderful home cooked meals at the homes of friends. But more than any one kind of challenge Paul faced, he shows us that trusting in Christ is something he learned to do and that we can too.
The key is remembering that overcoming whatever we face is in Christ. Got temptations? Then we need to remember that we are crucified with Christ. It’s not about us anymore. It’s about Him. Are we in the middle of confusion, and the pressure of unrelenting demands? Then we must bring to mind that we are buried with him in baptism. Nobody bothered Christ once the stone was rolled over the face of the tomb. He rested in perfect peace – though not for long! Are we crossing a storm tossed sea that is about to sink our boat? Then we can joyfully recall that just as we are crucified and buried with Jesus, so we are also raised with Him. Going forward is no longer just about our power – it’s about His. What are the “All things” that you face today? God’s got this! He’s not just in control on the outside of our situations, He is at work on the inside of us as well and will help us finish the job He gave us to do. Then we will be able to say with my dad,” It really is true! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
I am grateful to my friend Robert Keller for his guest post today. Recently as he was recovering from a medical incident he spent three weeks in a long term care setting. That experience put him in the same kind of situation I see every week as I visit in facilities around our community. It is easy to forget that residents in long term care are no different than any of us on the outside. But God remembers! Here is my good friend’s perspective on growing older and learning to lean more and more on the Lord.
As we grow older, we become painfully aware of our increasing physical limitations. Although outwardly there is a slow decline which results in restricted activity, inwardly the Spirit of God is carrying on an amazing process of revitalization and transformation that results in an ever-increasing freedom unlike anything we experienced in our youth.
It gets harder and harder to make out what friends are saying to us in a noisy restaurant, but our hearts hear the Shepherd’s voice more clearly than ever. We find that our legs cannot carry us as far or as fast as they used to, yet our walk with the Lord is strong and steady and it leaves us energized instead of exhausted. Our minds are now slow to process new information, but through the Holy Spirit, we are gaining a progressively deeper understanding of the truths found in God’s word. We do not see as well as we once did, but spiritually, our eyes have grown keener and we clearly see the hand of God moving in marvelous ways. Life in this world may become increasingly difficult as our bodies wear out, yet our hearts are filled with peace, hope and joy because
As we focus on the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. (2 Cor 3:18)
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