Did you know that God is not only ABLE to make you strong, but He is also PLEASED to make you strong! Psalm 89:17 points out something pleasing to God that I hadn’t thought of before.

It pleases God to make me strong.

God know our weaknesses. He knows our vulnerabilities and fears. He knows our limits. He doesn’t expect us to be all powerful and all mighty. That’s His job! And the crazy thing about being in relationship with an all-powerful, almighty God, is that He enjoys empowering us.

The secret to being made strong is found in the verses preceding Psalm 89:17. If you want to check it out, grab your Bible and look at verse 14, 15 and 16. They teach us that

• God strengthens us when we acknowledge His righteousness and justice along with His unfailing love and truth.
  
• God strengthens us when we walk in the light of His presence and worship Him.
  
• God strengthens us when we look to Him and depend on Him to make us strong.
  

You and I don’t have to be all powerful and all mighty. It’s actually the act of humbling ourselves before God that makes us strong. Paul said it best in his second letter to the Corinthians. After writing about how God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness, Paul wrote, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9-10 NIV).

God doesn’t expect us to be strong enough to take on life’s challenges. He doesn’t even want that. He wants us to acknowledge Him, worship Him, depend on Him. He is not impressed when we go our own way. He is pleased when we look to Him in our weakness and trust in His strength. So, the next time you’re tempted to condemn yourself for being weak or you’re tempted to applaud yourself for being strong, remember what pleases God and choose to rejoice in God’s great reputation instead of dwelling on your own.

I’m excited to be teaching Women’s Bible study this fall, and I’ve posted the details as well as a registration form on my website. Please take a minute to check it out by visiting shawnamariebryant.com. The Bible study is based on my book, Longing to Belong, and it will teach you how to make a habit of reading the Bible not just for information, but also for conversation. We will take time each week to make declarations of truth. After all, your tongue has power. Use it for good.

This week’s scripture: Psalm 89:14-17