“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ”
Day-by-day, I need help!
I have fears to fight, temptations to tame, resentment to resolve, and relationships to restore . . . and that's in the first hour of my day!
The problem is that I am not big enough or smart enough or tough enough or wise enough or resilient enough to overcome. Sure, I can put on the happy face, but often that is just a mask to cover up my hurting heart.
Motivational coaches line up to help me.
"You can do it!"
"Try harder!"
"No pain, no gain baby!"
"Diligence is the mother of good luck."
"Believe in yourself and the rest will fall into place."
This does not help. I feel like I am being urged to make chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips. Then I read Spurgeon and find a different kind of motivation:
But although we are closely beset, and often in sore conflict, we have an Almighty helper, even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is ever with us, and who assures us that we shall eventually come off more than conquerors through Him. With such assistance the new-born nature is more than a match for its foes.
Are you fighting with the adversary today? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on! For God Himself is with you.... Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence? "Fight on, 'looking unto Jesus'; and though long and stern be the conflict, sweet will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward."
God's good news for my tough times is not more of me. It is more of Him. Spurgeon shares five words that summarize the Master's magnificence:
“For who can defeat Omnipotence?”
Omnipotence is the theological term for the all-powerful nature of God. God's power is so great that it cannot be measured, so sweeping that it has no rivals.
I must remember this. The way out of my all-consuming frustrations is to "hold the hand" of my all-powerful God. He is bigger than anyone or anything I face.
I am not strong enough. He has all power!
I grow weary. He never needs to rest!
I get discouraged. He never despairs!
This truth about God gets even better. That able, big, capable, dynamic, energetic, robust, sovereign God not only towers over every problem I encounter, he promises to help me.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Christ Jesus is for me. He will see me through for who can defeat Omnipotence?
Our omnipotent God will see you through too!
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"But although we are closely beset . . ." from Spurgeon, Charles H. Morning And Evening. Whitaker House, Revised edition. 2001. Page 320.