Friendship Ministries
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • Statement of Faith
    • Dr. Russ
    • Dr. Virginia
  • From Dr. Russ
    • Perspective
    • Monthly Letter
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Upcoming Events
    • Men's Bible Study on Zoom
    • Marriage Seminars

Does your life in Christ strengthen you?

2/27/2017

0 Comments

 
Does your life in Christ give you strength? ~Philippians 2:1 (NCV)

This question posed by Paul in Philippians is an important one!  He goes on to point out that it is only when this is true that our attitude can become more like our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Picture
In 1 Samuel, David and his company of six hundred men had been serving in the military of King Achish of Gath and in the process had left their wives and children in Ziklag unprotected. A raiding band of Amalekites came down on the village, capturing the women and children for slaves, looting the place and carried of everything of value, leaving behind nothing but a smoking pile of rubble.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. ~ 1 Samuel 3:6

But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
 
Some translations translate this, ‘but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.’

There was nothing about the circumstance that was encouraging, and if David had limited his focus to the present circumstance, he would surely have gone into a deep depression. But David encouraged himself in God.

How do we do this? From the Psalms that David wrote, we can learn how.  We have to learn to H.O.P.E.

Hold on to truth.

      Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me. 
                                                                           ~Psalm 43:3


       Circumstances can tell us that God isn't with us; not working
       in our lives; doesn't love us.  Truth tells us otherwise.

Observe what God has done and is doing.
       
       You, Lord God, have done many wonderful things...
       No one is like you!
       I would never be able to tell all you have done.
                                                                   Psalm 40:5

 
Praise God for who He is and what He has done.

    O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
                                                                        ~ Psalm 34:3


       When we praise God for who He is and what He has done,
       we “magnify” Him.  We remind ourselves that He is BIGGER
       than our circumstances.
 
Expect that He will encourage and strengthen us.
 
    Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.  ~Psalm 55:22


God will strengthen you with his own great power. ~Colossians 1:11



Learning together to be strengthened by Him...
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Dr. Russ

    Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
             ~Jesus Christ

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Affirmation
    Anger
    Battle
    Character
    Choose
    Christmas
    Compassion
    Complacency
    Confidence
    Courage
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Encouragement
    Envy
    Evidence
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Father
    Fear
    Fellowship
    Focus
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friendship
    Fruit Of The Spirit
    Gentleness
    God Characteristics
    God-Characteristics
    Grace
    Gratitude
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Jealousy
    Joy
    Kindness
    Leadership
    Light
    Listening
    Love
    Mercy
    Mission
    Money
    Names
    Obedience
    Peace
    Perserverance
    Power
    Prayer
    Prepare
    Priorities
    Promises
    Provision
    Purpose
    Redemption
    Reflect
    Rejoice
    Relationship
    Remember
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Sanctification
    Security
    Sowing And Reaping
    Strength
    Stress
    Success
    Surrender
    Temptation
    Thankfulness
    Thoughts
    Transformation
    Trials
    Trust
    Truth
    Waiting
    Wisdom
    Worry
    Worship

    RSS Feed

Friendship Ministries Foundation | PO Box 55 | Devon, PA 19333 | (610) 430-6630