OUR FEAR, GOD'S STRENGTH

Psalm 147:10-11

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalm 147:10-11, NIV

If you were in charge of hiring someone to lead an entire nation through a wilderness, what qualities would be valuable? If you were hiring someone to take on a conquering army with a minimal force, would you look for courage, ability, and experience? Would you look for a great orator to deliver a solemn message from God to a nation? All of those qualities certainly are valid; you wouldn't send an inept person to do any of those jobs.

But our criteria and God's criteria must be different. He chose Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah, and each one had reasons why they couldn't do what God told them to do. Moses said he couldn't talk; Gideon said he was too weak; and Jeremiah said he was too young! It's interesting that God's patience seemed a little pushed in each of those cases. He told each one that He would empower them to do what He wanted. I don't know what you value in a person, but God doesn't delight "in the strength of a horse" or "the legs of the warrior." If the strength of a powerful horse couldn't impress God, then no man, no matter how strong, would ever impress God.

In contrast, verse eleven tells us, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in His mercy" (KJV). If you have strength, that is all the strength you are going to have. If you fear God, you will have all the strength that God has! We can never impress God by something we do, whether that is never making a mistake, or being brave enough, smart enough, etc. God is not impressed by what man is impressed with. Moses had fear; God had strength. Gideon had fear; God had strength. Jeremiah had fear; God had more power than he could dream of!

To impress God with our abilities is futile since He is the one who gave them to us in the first place! God can help the weakest person because He knows the weakest person. God values our fear rather than our strength.

When we fear God, we have all that we need, and we need not fear anything else. Remember today that God will not be impressed by how spiritual, smart, or strong we are; God is impressed by people who are impressed by Him. But God loves those who fear Him and put their hope in His unfailing love.

There's just one response of the human heart to which God reaches out: it's the response of faith, of love, and of commitment to Him. Don't rely on your ability and your own strength; they will fail you sooner or later. But put your trust in the unfailing love and faithfulness and the mercy of God. Put your hope in Him, and He will not fail you!!!

Father, thank You for this day and the strength to walk in it. Lord, let your abundant blessings flow like a mighty river over us and our family today. Lord, increase both our fear of You and our trust in Your unfailing love. Lord, keep us from ever allowing our thinking or our understanding to take the place of Your revealed Word. Lord, give us wisdom to understand Your will ahead of our own and the concerns of others ahead of our own interests. Lord, use us to be the touch of Your love that someone needs today.

Father, we love You. Amen.