Be Strong in the Lord and in the Strength of His Might
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:8-13
If you google the word “worth”, you will find the following definition: “the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.” When I read that, so many of those words stung my heart. As if a human’s worth could be placed at distinctive levels. You receive value or a rating based on what you deserve. What a dangerous way of thinking when it is so easy to put our worth in the things of this world and not safely in our Savior’s hands.
This way of thinking is not grace, friends. This is pride. This is believing that the things we do and the things of this world have the power to determine our rating and what we deserve. This creates the idea that in order to deserve an honorable amount of worth, you must do enough to be deemed worthy. It breaks my heart to imagine how this saddens our Father when we so easily believe these lies that the enemy tells us – you should’ve said “this” or done “that”. You will never be good enough to (fill in the blank). Whether it’s concerning our relationships, our jobs, our financial status - you name it, we believe it. We often think our worth and value is tied to what we do, when nothing we do will make God love you any more or any less. When we meditate on the word of God, we see just how miraculous the grace we are so undeserving of, yet receive freely from our God is. This should be where we place our value. This should be the image of worth we hold close to our hearts – being given an identity by our God who is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and constantly forgiving our iniquities. Not basing His love for us on our actions or mistakes. He meets us in the midst of them and in love, shows us the way toward the light.
I want to share the fail-proof cure I have found to this disease of placing our worth in worldly things and subsequently falling victim to the enemy’s lies, day after day. This simple, daily action will turn our hearts from a stance of self-protection to one of submission and trust in the Lord. When your alarm clock goes off and your mind instantly kick starts into its action plan for the day, try taking a deep breath and praying this prayer from Ephesians 6:11-20.
Lord, as I begin this day, would you clothe me with the whole armor of God so I may be strong in the strength of your might. That I may be clothed with the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. When I feel the tug of the enemy telling me to believe the lies he tries to whisper over me, I ask that I would be reminded of my identity in you and what we are capable of when we face this life together. I invite you into this space and this day, Lord. Give me eyes to see the things you place before me and hands and a heart to accept them. I love you and I thank you for your grace and mercy. Amen.
Beginning our day with this prayer allows us to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”, walking boldly in the calling He has bestowed upon each of us. When we do this and surrender our desires to the Lord, we will see Him move in big ways. All we have to do is be in communication with Him and place our identity as His daughter in His hands.
Meet the Author:
Jessie Barr is a speech-language pathologist based in Dallas, TX. She is a firm believer in the power words can hold when spoken over someone with the light and love of the gospel and aims to help people see the value they bring to the world. She loves connecting with other women of Christ through their unique stories and is excited to be a part of the W&HC community.
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