Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. – (Psalm 31:24)
Though these are great words of encouragement, I wanted to dig a bit deeper to find out more specifically what was being spoken. To be strong, is to allow the Lord to be my strength and to rely on Him as my Source who sustains me. The next few words, take heart, seem to translate to courage and bravery. After reading several translations of the Bible, I found that particular portion of the passage was written as: be courageous, be brave, and be of good courage, in addition to the NIVs translation that says to take heart. All you who hope in the Lord, would include all believers everywhere. If we have given our lives to Him, this word applies to us. We are meant to rely on Him to be our strength as we are brave; hoping, ever trusting in the Lord, who He is, and what He says He will do. May we be of good courage and strength as we place our hope in the Lord.
O Lord be my strength,
as I trust in You;
help me to be brave,
and live a life true.
May my hope be found,
alone in You, Lord;
You lead, I’ll follow,
Christ, whom I adore.
Wherever I go,
let Your strength shine through;
as others too see,
that hope’s found in You.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are loving and kind, and that You give strength and courage to all who hope in You. Forgive us for not placing all of our trust in You, or for seeking to solve strife in our own strength. Teach us to trust You more, so that we seek Your strength and wisdom, and learn to find courage in You. Lead us to love others well, just as You so completely love each of us. May many come into a saving relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we rise up in Your strength and courage and place all of our hope in You. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us. – Psalm 67:1
Revelations In Writing 