Our Hope: Looking for Strength

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

When we think of hope, we can easily see why and how it is connected to strength.  Just as little children, when we are in peril, we hope that someone with strength, such as a father or mother, will reach out with a hand and rescue us.  We look for strength.  When rescue comes, we are not only safe, we have seen our hope realized.

Jesus is our strength in all things.  He provides it to us by His hand, such as in the above example, when His is the hand that rescues us.  He also lends His strength to us to use when we need it, and while we are free to enjoy His strength, we must remember that the strength He gives to us is powered by Him.  We have no strength of our own making.

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1

Jesus displays His strength through His grace.  He is steadfast in extending grace, and when we accept it, we become stronger.  Consider when we have made a decision that was not what we had hoped.  We may have consequences that put us in a bad light.  But Jesus reaches out and covers us with grace, and we find our path easier to walk, the troubles gentler on our shoulders.  We find peace and joy in the midst of a trial.  There is great strength in that, and it will color our perceptions of future tribulation.  Hence, we have hope in the future.

“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’ ”  Matthew 26:39

Jesus was facing crucifixion, and even in that circumstance, when He clearly had some trepidation about it, He resolved to do His Father’s will, not His own.  He could have changed the whole thing.  He could very well have called the angels down to pull Him away from the experience He was about to face.  But His discipline showed great strength, His love and adoration of the Father showed strength, His love for you and me showed strength.  He was selfless, but as a man, who was also God, He felt the emotions we feel, fear and uncertainty, for just a short season.  He overcame it with … His strength.

We can only imagine what the strength of our Lord can accomplish.  He has unlimited resources, and strength and hope go hand in hand.  When we have strength, we have hope.  And when we have hope, we have strength.  When we look for true strength, we see Jesus.

Jesus is Our Hope.  No one can rescue us as He can.  When we look for strength with hope, we will find the face of Jesus.

When have you found the strength you were looking for in Jesus? Please comment here or go to www.mystoryofgrace.com and share your experience with you.

Blessings!