Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Ephesians 6:10 It's Easter, and as we celebrate Jesus' life and death sacrifice for each of us, I'm thinking about how THANKFUL I am to the Lord for the strength He has available for us each and every day.

We need the Lord! To be saved, we need Jesus—for there is salvation in none other (Acts 4:12)—and we need Him every moment of every day. There's a place in every heart that desperately craves the Lord and all of His benefits (Psalm 103:2)—including the strength He so generously gives to each of us, His kids. If an earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more our Heavenly Father (Luke 11:13)?

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:16-17). That's not just fire insurance to get us out of hell. Yes, God is faithful to grant us eternal life when we have faith in Jesus—Hallelujah!—but we don't have to struggle through life counting the days until the glorious by and by.

Today, tomorrow, and ten years from now are all part of that life eternal, and God supplies us with strength to live it with victory and full of joy and effectiveness. The strength to be and do all that He has planned for us comes from God (Colossians 1:11-12). It does not come from relying on our own efforts, which will never quite suffice. By His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has made a way for us, despite our sinful beginnings, to approach God's throne of grace. And so, we have the privileges of seeking the Lord, drawing near, spending time just hanging out with Him, getting to know Him better all the time, and obeying Him. As we do, we are girded with the security of God's strength through the high times, the hard times, and all points in between.

Thank You, Jesus!
Happy Easter.






© 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.