9.29.13

Proverbs 24:10(NLT) If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.

My Thoughts

The NIV words it this way, "If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!"  The NKJV words it like this, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." and The Message words verse 10 like this, "If you fall to pieces in a crisis there wasn't much to  you in the first place."  In my mind, my heart I worded this verse like this, "Jeannie, if you fall to pieces or you fail under pressure, your faith is too small." After all our strength comes from God. I have to have faith that God will take care of any situation when I choose to do what God has asked me to do.

I can choose to be afraid of a person, not showing my faith in God, and do what they would have me do. Or I can choose to trust in God to take care of me because I have chosen to do what God would have me to do.  The more I know God the more I believe that He allows us to go through small and large trials so that we will know where our strength lies. Sometimes in our lives we only go through those normal trirals of life, if we are lucky our lives will only have "normal" trials.  But as I watch time go by and I watch the horrors of the world I know that God has to prepare me, in the trials of every day, to be able to stand up with our mighty God in my heart and not be afraid of anything! Knowing that God is there for me even if I face death, horrific death.

Yes you may think that I am being dramatic, but am I?  Just last week a mall in Kenya was taken over by people taken over by Satan.  People had guns held to their heads and faced certain death if they said, "God is my God." We must be that strong.  Strong enough to say, "God alone is my God!" We must build our faith! Because if we can't be strong in the face of people who love us, people who like us, or strangers at Walmart.  Will we be strong enough? We must be able to say out loud today "I love my God." We must be strong enough to tell the truth when a lie would be easier. We must be strong enough to stand up for somebody when the crowd is against them.  If we aren't how will we be strong enough if we are taken hostage in a mall?

I am learning that God does not test us so He will know, after all He knows the end from the beginning. God test us so that we will know, so that we can see where we need to grow. God test us out of love, pure love. A love that says, "I want you to be able to make the right choices, because I want you to live with Me in Heaven."  And if we fail, God is there waiting with His hand held out, with His word on our shelves, so that we can learn and grow and be ready to handle ourselves with His grace in the face of danger.  

If this verse were longer it would NOT say, "If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small, you failure!" If it were longer I think it would say, "If you fail under pressure, you strength is too small, please recognize this and learn and grow, depend on My grace to do what you are unable to do on your on. Because I love you so much."