One of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 18:10.  It says the name of the Lord is a strong tower. I love that.  I have in my mind a scene from the times of Downton Abbey where there is a massive tower built of unhewn stone that stands tall and has been there for centuries.  The strength of the Lord is beautiful to those who have felt they were so deep in the valley, there was no coming back. We, as believers, know that our strength comes from the Lord, yet many of us continue to operate daily seemingly without the strength of the Lord.  And this is where our Verse of the Day comes in:

1 Chronicles 16:11

11 Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

(NIV)

The Bible gives us everything we need for truth and Godliness (2 Peter 1:3), but sometimes we forget the Scripture describes itself as a mystery (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).  Reading the Bible is a good thing, a very good thing. But the Bible is also the breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Breath is something that cannot be seen. We need the Holy Spirit to help us to be able to catch the nuances of Scripture that reveal the deep mysteries that lead us to that peace, joy, and power that God has bestowed upon us. 

Not only do we have to learn the deep mysteries found in the Word of God, but then we also need for the Holy Spirit to work in us and change our hearts giving us the power, the love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7) to be able to walk in these mysteries.  This is the mystery behind our Verse of the Day.  

Look to the Lord and His strength.  The Lord is our strength. He is our strong tower.  He is our ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).  No weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17) because He is our defender (Psalm 119:114).  He is the Warrior who is also our Dad. The fierceness of our God is magnified because He loves us as His children.  Think about what you would do to protect your child. How much more does God with a pure heart want to protect us and how much abler is He to protect us because He is God!!  Praise His Holy Name!!!

But the key is found in the second phrase.  “Seek His face always.”  

So many people have iPhones now and they use Facetime for video calls.  My son is in the Navy and my wife wants to see his face because she misses him so.  They use Facetime. But this is not sufficient. Before Apple iPhones, facetime meant being in the presence of someone face to face.  And it was not simply to be in the presence, but it was to spend time with one another. When Esther desperately wanted to save her people, she needed to be in the presence of the King (Esther 5:1-2).  

God is not an entity of power.  He is not the force of Star Wars. He is not the higher power of AA.  We must remember that we have been made in His image so our soul and our spirit are in His image.  He is a person. He has emotions. He talks and He listens. And most importantly, He wants facetime with us.  The whole of Scripture is God trying to nurture this relationship with mankind. He is constantly working to be in our presence.  We, on the other hand, are distracted by so many things. We connect with the Lord in our spirit, but our eyes and our flesh are stimulated by the busyness and stress of this world that we do not connect.  God pursuing our attention is more the norm than us communing with our Heavenly Father. But the strength of God is released into us when we are face to face with Him.

When we do not take the time to blind our eyes to these issues of life and focus on Him, we remove ourselves from the face to face posture we need and what He craves.  Like Peter taking His eyes off of Christ (Matthew 14:29-30), we lose power and fall into the sea of our earthly flesh. If we want strength, we must always seek to be in the presence of God.  The Bible says to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is the key to staying in the presence of God. We must keep Him at the forefront of our minds.  We must always be in awe and praise of who He is to us in our spirit. Pray. Worship. Sing to the Lord. Remind yourself of His goodness with every breath throughout your day. Then you will be filled with the strength of the Lord.  And you will become like the tree planted by the water, so strong, withstanding great wind, and providing fruit to all those who are near. The strength of the Lord is not just for when we are in trouble. It is to be in us for when others are in trouble, they can find His strength in us.

And never forget that He wants to fill us with strength.  God wants you to overcome. He lives to see you succeed in the face of trials and tragedies.  He wants to fill you with His strength.

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

(NIV)

Pastor Lee is a pastor and Biblical life coach.  He has been helping people through counseling, pastoring, teaching, and preaching for 20+ years.  His ministry focuses on helping people overcome the strongholds of the past and press on into God’s plan for an abundant life.  He has been married to his wife, Amy for 28 years.  He has three sons and one daughter-in-love.  For more about Pastor Lee or to get some Biblical advice, go to the About page.

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