Paul’s imprisonment has inspired other Christians to remain strong as they share the gospel story. 
Posting about God\u27s strength through difficulties from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.
https://inallthings.org/strength

Breems, Jenni

English

Dordt College

Digital Collections @ Dordt Staff Work 10-2-2017 Strength Jenni Breems Dordt College, jenni.breems@dordt.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/staff_work  Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Breems, J. (2017). Strength. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/staff_work/81 This Blog Post is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Staff Work by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact ingrid.mulder@dordt.edu. Strength Abstract "Paul’s imprisonment has inspired other Christians to remain strong as they share the gospel story." Posting about God's strength through difficulties from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation. https://inallthings.org/strength/ Keywords In All Things, lectionary, strength, help, Holy Spirit Disciplines Christianity Comments In All Things is a publication of the Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service at Dordt College. This blog post is available at Digital Collections @ Dordt: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/staff_work/81 October 2,2017Strength inallthings.org /strength/Jenni BreemsDaily Scripture TextsJudges 14Philippians 1:3-14Psalm 28Visualize an Olympic weight-lifter. His muscles bulge and strain with effort as he lifts hundreds of pounds above hishead. Strength.Now, picture a locomotive pulling train cars full of grain and oil across the prairie. Its diesel electric locomotiveengine hums with power and speed. Strength.Consider the Rocky Mountains. They loom above the North American landscape, stretching from Canada to NewMexico, covering a massive 3,000 miles and towering more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Strength.Form a mental image of a lion. He stands on a rock and roars, claiming his status as king of the beasts. Strength.And then, there is the Old Testament judge Samson who was legendary for his strength. Today’s lectionary passagefrom Judges says, “…he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.” Who tearsgoats apart with their bare hands, let alone lions? As Samson’s story continues, he kills a thousand men withoutremorse and with only a jawbone for a weapon. No ropes of any sort can bind him. He breaks them repeatedly, andeffortlessly. Even in death, Samson pushes down massive pillars in a large pagan temple by sheer brute force.Strength.Contrast Samson with Paul. Paul is in prison, most likely in Rome, when he writes this letter to the Philippians. Aprisoner in chains would not have been my first choice for an inspirational poster on strength. Yet, Paul writes:Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance thegospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chainsfor Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dareall the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14.)Paul’s imprisonment has inspired other Christians to remain strong as they share the gospel story. Because ofPaul’s captivity, the Christian community is strengthened: confident, daring, and without fear. How is this possible?Paul makes it clear that Christ is completing the good work he has begun (Phil 1:6). Paul’s deep affection for thosearound is rooted in Jesus Christ (Phil 1:8). Paul asks for love and discernment and righteousness to come fromChrist (Phil 1:9-10). Clearly, Christ is the source of Paul’s strength.God’s Spirit was the source of Samson’s strength, too. Samson killed the lion with his bare hands because “theSpirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him” (Judges 14:6). We see that his questionable engagement to aPhilistine woman who raised the eyebrows of his parents was “from the Lord” (Judges 14:4). God used this less-than-ideal relationship to avenge his people. When Samson killed a thousand enemies of Israel, it was because“The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him” (Judges 15:14). And when, as a blind man, he pushed down thepillars of the pagan temple in his dying moments, the required strength was an answer to prayer. “Then Samsonprayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more’” (Judges 16:28).Today’s lectionary Psalm is also a prayer for God’s help. After God’s answer, the psalmist writes:1/2The Lord is my strength and my shield;My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,And with my song I will praise Him. (Psalm 28:7 NKJV)I like the way that the New King James translates the line “I am helped.” The passive grammar reminds me that I donot initiate the help. It is being given to me through absolutely no power of my own. God alone is the source of mystrength. So, with Samson, Paul, and the Philippian Christians, I remember that my strength comes only from theLord. He is my inspiration, my song, and my strength.2/2

Strength

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