Be Strong (2-15-12)

1 Corinthians 16:13 - "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."

The fourth and final exhortation in this short verse is "be strong." This isn't talking about physical strength but rather spiritual strength, true strength. The first step we need to take in heeding this exhortation is to realize that in ourselves we have no strength. All the strength we need comes from God. If we rely on our own strength in any situation we will fail miserably. The first step in being strong is to completely surrender ourselves to God for His working in and through us. In the first chapter of the Paul's letter to the Colossians he was telling them of his prayers for them. Among other things Paul said that he was praying that they would be "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might." When talking to the Ephesians about the armor of God he says in chapter 6 verse 10 - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." And he writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1 - "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
The apostle Paul knew that God is all powerful and that all true strength comes from Him. In 2 Corinthians 12 he recounts a situation in his life when he was entreating the Lord about his weakness, and this is what we're told in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." This is so backwards from our normal way of thinking but it's so true. Gods strength is made perfect in our weakness. We're only strong when we "put no confidence in the flesh"

In Joshua chapter 1 Moses had just died and the Lord gave Joshua charge over the people of Israel. Joshua was replacing Moses, he had some big shoes to fill and I'm sure that that must have been intimidating. God was also going to use him to drive the Canaanites out of the land and take possession of it. The people that Joshua was leading had just been wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they weren't soldiers, they were the children of slaves, and I'm sure that Joshua realized that in his own strength he couldn't perform the task that God had set before him. The book of Joshua begins with God talking to Joshua and telling him His plans for him, and look at what He says in verses 6-9 - "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God asked Joshua to be obedient to Him and He told him to trust in His strength instead of his own. That's what it means to be strong in the Lord. It means obeying His word, being sensitive to His leading and seeking to do His will, and then recognize that He has to accomplish it through you. We can't even obey Him in ourselves, He has to work that obedience through us.
Three times in those 4 verses God tells Joshua to "be strong and courageous" and at the end of verse nine He tells him why, "for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Psalm 73:26 - "My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."