God, my strength

Strengthen me according to your word!

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.—O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety!

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”—“You know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.”

“Fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”—“Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts.”—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Ps. 119:28; Ps. 119:49; Isa. 38:14; Luke 21:33; Josh. 23:14; Dan. 10:19; Hag. 2:4; Zech. 4:6; Eph. 6:10

Restored

“Let us suppose, in the manner of some romances, that a king was betrothed to a beautiful wife, whose picture was sent to him before he himself saw her. But when she set out on her journey to him, she fell sick of some loathsome disease, such as the smallpox or leprosy.

But suppose that he knew before she came to him that she should be restored to her first primitive beauty, and that even though he knew he would be troubled by her disaster, distemper, or disease, he easily quieted himself for that little space of time in which her infirmity, though greatly disfiguring her, was to continue. For he himself would be her physician, the only one who could cure her and restore her to her first perfect beauty, which he knew he could and should do. Thus he would show all love and peace toward her, even though her disease was loathsome, in full hope of her recovery.

This is the case between Christ and the church.”

— Thomas Goodwin

He is able!

I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able.

Able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.

Able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Able to help those who are being tempted.

Able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.

Able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

Who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” . . . “Yes, Lord.” “According to your faith be it done to you.”

2 Tim. 1:12; Eph. 3:20; 2 Cor. 9:8; Heb. 2:18; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Phil. 3:21; Matt. 9:28, 29

Contentment

“My brethren, the reason why you have not got contentment in the things of the world is not because you have not got enough of them. That is not the reason. But the reason is because they are not things proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that is capable of God himself. Many men think that when they are troubled and have not got contentment, it is because they have but a little in the world, and if they had more then they would be content. That is just as if a man were hungry, and to satisfy his craving stomach he should gape and hold open his mouth to take in the wind, and then should think that the reason why he is not satisfied is because he has not got enough of the wind. No, the reason is because the thing is not suitable to a craving stomach.”

Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (Edinburgh, 1964), page 91.