Flexing Faith Muscles

<p>During a trip to the zoo, I stopped to rest near the sloth exhibit. The creature hung upside down. He seemed content being completely still. I sighed. Because of my health issues, I struggled with stillness and desperately wanted to move forward, to do something&mdash;anything. Resenting my limitations, I longed to stop feeling so weak. But while staring at the sloth, I observed how he stretched one arm, gripped a nearby branch, and stopped again. Being still required strength. If I wanted to be content with moving slow or being as still as the sloth, I needed more than incredible muscle power. To trust God with every dragging moment of my life, I needed <em>supernatural</em> power.</p> <p>In Psalm 46, the writer proclaims that God doesn&rsquo;t just <em>give</em> us strength, He <em>is</em> our strength (v. 1). No matter what&rsquo;s going on around us, the &ldquo;<smallcaps>Lord</smallcaps> Almighty is with us&rdquo; (v. 7). The psalmist repeats this truth with conviction (v. 11).</p> <p>Like the sloth, our day-to-day adventures often require slow steps and extended periods of seemingly impossible stillness. When we rely on God&rsquo;s unchanging character, we can depend on His strength no matter what plan and pace He determines is right for us.</p> <p>Though we may continue to battle afflictions or struggle with waiting, God remains faithfully present. Even when we don&rsquo;t <em>feel</em> strong, He&rsquo;ll help us flex our faith muscles.</p>