What Impresses God?

 I've spent the last couple of mornings in Philippians 4, just reading it over and over again. I have to take small bites and meditate on them throughout the day. That's a great way to really get the good stuff down in the heart! This chapter grabbed me a few days ago, but really, all I was doing was taking another look at verse 13. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Honestly, I just needed strength to get through another day and I knew just where to go to get it. But what started as a morning devotion turned into a 3-day spiritual retreat. I love it when God does that!

Over the last few days, I've let my mind walk through this chapter as I've read and meditated on various phrases it contains. Paul was not in an easy spot in his life when he wrote it. Yet, he found great peace in trusting God. I'm pretty sure we can do that, too! 

This morning, I was traipsing through the Psalms, preparing for my weekday Facebook Live devotional, "Peace Out!" and I found an interesting verse in Psalm 147. Of course, I was looking for something totally different, but verse 10 stood out and all but reached off the page to grab my attention. It goes this way in the NLT: The strength of a horse does not impress Him; how puny in His sight is the strength of a man. I stopped and read it over and over again. 

One of the strongest beings we know is the horse. We even use it to measure motors. Your vehicle's engine is rated in hp (horsepower). If you buy any type of machine, it will be rated in horsepower. For example, my new Ford Edge is rated at 250 to 335 hp. This means it has the pull or strength of between 250 and 335 horses. I think, whoa - that's a lot of pull and strength. A semi is rated between 400 and 600 horsepower. That means the engine can do the work of 600 horses! Sheesh!

But God is not impressed. (Psalm 147:10) He's not impressed with the strongest man in the world either - whoever that is now. We may flex our natural muscles or even our spiritual muscles - but compared to God - puny isn't even a strong enough word to describe it! :-)

But wait...what about when He gives us His strength? 

Philippians 4:13 tells us that God gives us His strength. I think it goes without saying that we have to go to Him and trust Him for it if we want to reap the benefits. We must look so weak in His eyes. But when we gather ourselves up enough to run to Him, then He fills us with His strength. Now that's impressive! God isn't looking for us to be strong - He's just looking for us to trust Him because in Him is where our true strength lies.

Today, I will remind myself that my own strength is not impressive to God and that my true strength comes from Him. I'll meditate on Isaiah 30:15 that says my confidence and strength come from waiting on Him. Today, I will wait for Him and let Him fill me with His strength to run this crazy race. I'll wait for Him to illuminate my path, provide me with direction, and carry me as needed. For in the wait - is the strength of God. I will calm this crazy, busy mind of mind and patiently wait for Him to gird me with His strength and share his wisdom with me. I'll just follow His lead as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

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31 Days in Psalm 31

David was open and honest about his feelings and he tended to give everything to God, even when he was hiding in the back of a cave. What's it like to spend time in the back of a cave with God? David gives us a glimpse in Psalm 31 and that's where this devotional is taken from. Grab a paper copy or a Kindle copy from Amazon!