Be strong - Be intentional

Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him." - 1 Chronicles 19:13. The background of this text finds Israel surrounded by enemies on every side. The captain of the army of Israel has to come up with a plan to make it through the day. Have you been there or are you there now? Surrounded by troubles, decisions, problems or adversity? What do you do? As if it wasn’t enough, Israel’s enemies had hired another county, Syria, to help them defeat Israel. That’s the way trouble often comes, our enemies or challenges seems to multiply or come all at once. I think the answer to these situations is found in the approach of the Israeli captain. Be strong, think of others and what God has blessed us with and then submit. Submit to God and God alone. Our tendency is to submit to our our knowledge, will and strength or the strength of others. However, they submitted fully to God’s will, “may the Lord do what seems good to Him.” In other words, if we win, praise the Lord, if we lose we will praise the Lord, for we know He is good. That attitude and focus is what faith and trust in the Almighty God is about. My encouragement today is when the trouble of life come, and they will, put this approach into practice. It comes first by commitment, then by practice but never comes natural. 

Say Amen!

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!  - Psalm 106:48. Have you seen God’s glory today? Maybe it was in the sunrise or the early morning rain. Maybe it was evident in the small calf in the field you drove by to work or the tree by the roadside. Maybe it was in the smile of the elderly lady at the grocery or the child you walked by today. It was there, you may have seen it and didn’t think or you may have missed it altogether. His creation displays His glory. If you see anything that is peaceful, meticulous or is beyond your understanding, it is there where you can say, “Blessed be the Lord!’ He is not only in His creation but in His people and He always, always will be there, from everlasting to everlasting! Just say it, say Amen! Say praise the Lord! He is worthy and He is God, look for Him right now, He’s probably closer to you than you think.