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Strength
September 1, 2012

The Texas Department of Transportation is building a new highway interchange near my house, and parts of the overpass trusses are made with concrete, and other trusses are made from steel. When the concrete trusses are used, the truss is designed to completely cover the span between two pillars. However, when steel is used, individual pieces are bolted together to form the length needed to bridge the span. What amazes me is how those bolts are strong enough to hold up the steel, poured concrete, and eventually all of the cars and trucks that will use that highway interchange. It comes down to engineering and good engineering is going to be strong enough. So I have thought a little about strength, how strength impacts us individually, and what the Bible says about strength, and I'll begin with one of my favorite scriptures on strength.

Proverbs 24:10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

In life, those who have no adversity to face have it made. Most people including this author face adversity. Life throws us different challenges that can be aggravating and difficult to circumvent. How we face these challenges makes us strong or weak. Our choice is to cave or endure, to overcome or be overcome. Sometimes the adversity we face is little, and is easily overcome and at other times the adversity we face seemsinsurmountable. It's when we give up our strength is too small to handle whatever adversity we are facing. This kind of strength is sometimes referred to as emotional or mental strength. And as we get older, that is sometimes the only kind of strength we have. Younger people on the other hand, also can have physical strength, and the Bible also speaks of this.

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

The gray hair of the elderly is a symbol of wisdom and signifies the mental strength that many elderly have. I remember one time reading of a senior citizen who beat a would-be robber with her purse. Stories like this are all mental strength. The young on the other hand, can develop physical strength. Those who are physically fit and athletic seem to dominate everyone else. And the young truly know they are strong when they are able to use their strength on any given day no matter what the circumstance may be. The writings of Paul compare our faith to a race, and the winner will be the strongest runner who endures to the end.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Paul knew that the prize we all seek is immortality, and to obtain this prize, we must run our race of faith and dig deep when it comes to spiritual strength. In life we will face adversity at many different levels. It is when we stand firm in conviction of belief that we are strong, so be strong so that you may reach the finish line and win immortality.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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