Strength to my hands

"Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees.
Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on His way to put things right And redress all wrongs.  He's on his way! He'll save you!"

Is 35:4

As we near the end of the year, it's a time when we start to feel drained and hardpressed (2 Cor 4:8) and start to wonder why life can be so difficult.  Why do we have to be surrounded by so many difficult people when we feel like we have so little strength left to make it through?


As we see the increase in civil unrest and unhappy people walking the street, wreaking havoc, it's easy to be fooled into thinking that Jesus is not relevant, that He's perhaps not present.  The truth is that this is a lie from the devil - he wants us to think that we're alone and without succour.  He wants us to believe that we're dependent on worldly rulers and powers.

Imagine what the couple on the road to Emmaus must have been feeling as they were talking about Christ;  having being promised a saviour - strength and hope to overcome the oppressive Roman rule - and then seeing Him killed like a criminal.  But as we read that story, whilst they were talking about Jesus, He appeared!

Joseph Prince illustrates this story beautifully by pulling out the encouraging truth that as we commune and talk about Jesus - He makes Himself present!  When Isaiah encouraged the Hebrews, it was from a confidence that GOD would come, no matter what;  that no matter what the world looked like, the situations and people they faced, GOD was above it all and present through it all.

GOD loves our worship because it's a moment when we get to encounter Him.  It's a Grace moment when we can allow GOD's Spirit within us to elevate us above the distractions and diversions of the world and commune with the manifest presence of the Living GOD!

May I encourage you to allow GOD to strengthen your hands so that they can become His hands, to breathe life into your voice so that you can encourage others - even when you're exhausted and battered from every side!