She's Little, but Strong

Daily Reading: Proverbs 31

Scripture Focus:  She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. (Proverbs 31.17)

Devotional Thought: In 1979, Lana and I moved into our first apartment.  We moved  from two places: her home in Barrackville, West Virginia and my home in Montpelier, Ohio.  I, along with Lana's dad, loaded up Lana's belongings.  My brother and sister-in-law - Al and Karen - loaded up my things and brought them to us.  When we met, I asked how they got it all loaded.  Karen said she had done it all herself.  "What?  I could barely lift those boxes!  How did you do it?"  “I just picked them up!"  My sister-in-law was only 5’ tall and probably about 110 pounds, but she was strong!

Another strong woman is my daughter Amy.  She is a little taller than my sister-in-law, maybe 5’2”.  But, she weighs less.  Amy has always surprised me with her physical strength.  As a pastor’s kid, she has moved a lot.  The last few moves she was the only kid left at home.  When I needed someone on the other end of the couch or dresser, it was Amy I turned to.  She has strong arms!

Physical strength is one thing, but the most important strength is spiritual. How does a person dress themselves with spiritual strength?  Just as Karen and Amy worked their arms, we need to work our spiritual arms!  We do that by serving the Lord, by searching the scriptures, and by stepping out on faith.  If we want to be strong in the Lord, another thing we must not neglect is found in the book of Nehemiah: “The joy of the Lord is your strength."  Strength comes with joy.

Just like my sister-in-law and my daughter, we don’t have to be “big” to be strong.  We can clothe ourselves with strength, the strength of the Lord.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that though I am weak, yet I am strong, for your strength is perfected in me.  Help me to work my spiritual arms and so grow in strength.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 18.1-6

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 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.

3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;

5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.