Nancy Taylor Tate
Yesterday I had to lift two equally heavy things, one easy to reach, the counterpart hard to reach. As I began with the easy to reach, I thought, “I should be doing the hard to reach first. Now it is going to tilt, making the hard to reach even harder!” But already into it, I did the easy reach first with great struggle and effort. As I caught my breath, I eyed the hard to reach, then began to pray for what I call the “Sampson anointing,” that the same strength that came into Sampson would come into me that I might be able to lift this other side. Lo and behold, it lifted so easily it caught me by surprise! In fact, I had to look twice to be sure I was done. With no effort, up it had gone, the block of wood was under, and I was done. I shouldn’t have been, but I was amazed.
We have heard that saying, “When all else fails, pray.” But why not pray first? I could have had divine enabling from the beginning instead of the strain of my self-effort until I finally looked to the Lord for His strength and enabling power to finish.
I believe this is the place of prayer God is calling us up into. That first we pray, then we engage. That we are sure our beginnings are in the Lord, that the end may be well also, and everything in between.
There is a warfare that we are engaged in. But we do not do battle in our own strength. It is through His power that we overcome. With the calling comes the enabling. His grace is there for all we need. We have His wisdom, His direction, His guidance in our lives if we will but look to Him first, then move in righteousness, being grounded in His Word, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What a wonderful calling, to walk in intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, submitted to His headship, being made part of His eternal purposes. May you find in Christ Jesus the strength you need for what you face today, as you look to Him, the author and finisher of your faith. His grace is there for you, if you will but draw on it. How He loves you and me! What strength we have in Him! Truly, He will provide for all our needs. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19