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SHOES OF "IRON & BRASS"

Updated: Sep 22, 2024

Twenty three years ago, my primary care physician diagnosed my physical weakness and pain as "Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy" (CIDP). Numerous tests confirmed that long-worded diagnosis. The condition worsened over time and later additional back issues developed requiring some surgical procedures. All these issues continue now and pain is 24/7. All that to say, I am still learning to trust God for daily strength, energy and stamina. Deuteronomy 33:25 has become my bedrock Scripture for each and every day, remaining so even today! "Your shoes shall be iron and brass, and as your days, so shall your strength be." I personally find God's Strength to be absolutely effective, sufficient and faithful every day as I place myself in His abundant provision!

God's Strength seems to be a perfect sequel to God's Grace and God's Peace (see previous, recent blogs). Let's explore how believers (true followers of Jesus Christ) draw strength from God's Holy Spirit,

sustaining our faith and enabling us to face daily challenges of all kinds with wisdom and perseverence. All of us seek the same thing: strength for this temporary earthly journey and aid for the day-to-day issues or needs we encounter here.

Let's focus our thoughts on a wonderful passage of Scripture found in the Book of Psalms, a book in God's Word filled with songs of praise, cries for help, and expressions of deep faith and trust. "They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion." (Psalm 84:7) This Scripture speaks to us about the strength that comes from God, the strength that sustains us, not just in times of great difficulty, but in our everyday lives. While meditating on this verse, I was reminded of a quote from the Christian author, J. I. Packer. He once said, "The Christian's life in all its aspects - intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness - is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from Him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all."

Indeed, our strength comes from God's Holy Spirit, who begins and holds up our faith. Without Him, we would be extremely weak, fragile and powerless. But with Him, we can "go from strength to strength, appearing before God in Zion", secure and sustained in our faith, and able to stand before God in the end. God IS our Strength, our Refuge and our Shield. So, let's ponder this truth further from the Old and New Testaments.

"The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him - my father's God and I will exalt Him!" (Exodus 15:2) "You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me." (II Samuel 22:40) "Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!" (I Chronicles 16:11) "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10) These verses clearly tell us that our God is not just a watchful guardian, but also a powerful defender and a reliable sanctuary for each of us who truly knows Jesus. And this is not a truth that is new or unfamiliar. The revered Christian author and apologist, C. S. Lewis once said, "God who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain." What an incredible statement!

We must deeply understand that GOD IS OUR STRENGTH! This is a profound truth that permeates the entirety of the Bible, from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament. The fact that God is our strength is not merely a comforting thought, but a divine reality that should indeed shape our lives and our faith. I think a lot of Christians think that God gives us His strength, rather than God BEING our strength. Since we have God we have strength in our lives. What does this truth actually mean? First, when we say that God IS our strength, we are acknowledging that our human strength is extremely limited, flawed, weak at best and powerless! We are finite beings who get tired, who falter, who fail. "Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. . . ." (Isaiah 40:30-31) At times, we tend to give up, give out, and give in to our weakness and frailty. In ourselves, we have physical, emotional and spiritual limitations. BUT GOD, in His infinite power, might and grace does not! He is the Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and of the earth, the One who holds the universe in His "hands". His strength is limitless, unfathomable, and unending. When we align ourselves with Him, when we place our trust in Him, we can surely tap into His Divine Presence and have His Amazing Strength!

Second, God being our strength also means that He Empowers Us! "You armed me with strength for battle. . . ." (II Samuel 22:40) This does not just speak about physical strength, but also about spiritual, emotional and mental strength. God equips us with the strength we need to face our all-encompassing battles, be they physical illnesses or disease, emotional struggles, spiritual warfare, or mental challenges. He doesn't promise us a life FREE from pain or struggles, but He does promise TO BE our strength to OVERCOME them!

Third, God being our strength signifies that He Sustains Us! "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless." (Isaiah 40:29) Even in our full-fledged weakness, when we feel like we can't go on, when we're at the end of our resources and stamina, God sustains us by His Grace! He carries us through our darkest hours, through our deepest valleys, and through our most exhausting and challenging storms, called LIFE! He is the One who upholds us, who keeps us standing, who keeps us moving forward one foot in front of the other. "So, do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 40:10)

Fourth, God being our strength means that He Is Our Source Of Courage! God told Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) God's strength is not merely about physical ability or power. It's also about COURAGE! It's about having the BOLDNESS to face our fears, to confront our challenges, to challenge our weaknesses, to stand up for the right, and to keep going when the going gets tough. For, "when the going gets tough, the tough (in God) get going." Because we know that God is with us and within us, because we understand that HE IS OUR STRENGTH, we can be strong and courageous!

We must deeply understand that God's Strength is OUR REFUGE! "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. . . ." (Psalm 46:1-2) "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26) "The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

We must also truly understand that God's Strength is OUR SHIELD! "The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped. . . ." (Psalm 28:7) "Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our strength and shield." (Psalm 33:20) "I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:1-2)

So, as we consider these Biblical truths about securing God's Amazing Strength for our continued walk with Him, let's remember that it's not about our abilities, talents, gifts or resources. It IS about God's Power, His Grace, His Love! It' about HIS STRENGTH! It's all about His Strength which is made "perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9) It's about His Promise to be with us, to guide us, to sustain us, to strengthen and uphold us. It's about His unfailing commitment to us; His faithfulness to us, His undying love for us! And, it's about our response to Him, our trust in Him, our reliance upon Him! For it is only when we lean on Him, when we draw from His well of strength, that we can truly "go from strength to strength", with each of us appearing before God Himself in Zion! Those of us who remain faithful to God and reside in His Grace and Strength have the privilege and honor to stand in the very presence of God (Zion- God's dwelling place) for eternity! Wow, do we truly understand this?!

Rev. Charles Spurgeon made this point in one of his sermons and his point is well worth our serious consideration. "Fretful spirits sit down and trouble themselves about the future. 'Unfortunately' they say, 'we go from affliction to affliction.' Very true. O you of little faith; but you go from strength to strength also. You will never find a bundle of affliction that does not have in it somewhere Sufficient Grace. God will give the strength of ripe maturity along with the burden allotted to full-grown shoulders." Wow!!

Fanny Crosby, the beloved blind hymnwriter, in 1882, penned the following lyrics to the hymn: "GOD OF OUR STRENGTH ENTHRONED ABOVE":

"God of our strength, enthroned above, The source of life, the fount of love.

O let devotion's sacred flame, Our souls awake to praise Thy name.

God of our strength, on Thee we call; God of hope, our light, our all.

Thy name we praise, Thy love adore, Our rock, our shield, forevermore."

It's my sincere prayer and hope that we all put on those Shoes of Iron and Brass, finding that as our days go, God's strength is much more than a match for our rough roads.


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God has blessed me with a long and fruitful ministry! I have over 40 years in pastoral ministry, retreat speaking, Evangelism, teaching and Christian Radio broadcasting.

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