“A Word from the Word”
by Dan Hayden

 Strength—Psalm 46:1
Have you ever tried to unscrew a lid on something, and found it to be too tight? No matter how much you tried, it wouldn’t budge. Then you gave it to someone else who had a stronger grip, and they were able to turn it loose. Well, that’s the idea behind our word today, “strength.”

In Psalm 46:1 we are told, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God is our… strength: He ministers to us in our weakness.

The word "strength" is a Hebrew word that means "power or might." But it can also have the idea of "firmness or boldness." It comes from a root verb that means "to be stout."

So the thought is that God is someone who is stout. He stands strong and firm on our behalf. He prevails for us with strength and power when we are weak and impotent.

The apostle Paul was someone whom we generally consider to be a man of great personal strength. Yet his opinion of himself is quite different. He refers to himself as the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15) and less than the least of all saints (Eph. 3:8). On one occasion in 2 Cor. 12, he tells of a “thorn in the flesh”—probably some physical infirmity that caused him to be weak. Then he rejoices in God’s strength on his behalf. God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).

Well, if the truth is known, all of us are weak. As we face the trials and responsibilities of life our strength falters and our courage languishes. That’s when we recognize the need for God’s strength—His strong arm to lift us up and carry us through. How encouraging to know that “God is our strength”!
Say—Having trouble opening the lid? Give it to someone stronger than you—give it to God!