The disciples replied, "Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?" -- Matthew 15: 33 (NLT)
Where indeed? I am astounded that they so quickly forgot the miracle that had just occurred! Back at the Promised Land border, Moses would convince God to stay His hand but that entire disbelieving generation died in the wilderness -- never seeing the land that was promised to them again. Even the mighty Prophet Elijah once ran into the wilderness and asked God to take his life because Jezebel demanded his head. Forget the fact that he just saw God slay the 450 prophets of Baal and that God raised the widow's child from the dead through him -- where's Egypt?
The second truth for us today is that the Lord is our strength. Well that sounds easy enough but what does it mean in our day to day lives? It means that we no longer have to do things alone. It means we no longer have to rely upon this world. It means that the life that is yielded to God, can expect God to continue to deliver them. Let's face it; our troubles did not end when we finally left Egypt. Because at the end of each day we still have forces arrayed against us. We live in a world system that is diametrically opposed to the things of God. The Bible says that the things of God are foolishness to those who are perishing. Although we are supposed to be pilgrims walking through this world, we still have to navigate it. In addition to the world system we have to constantly war against our own flesh. Perhaps this frustration is never better summed up than by the Apostle Paul:
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. -- Romans 7: 14-17 (NLT)
Paul sums it up by saying that only through Christ can we become free from this propensity towards sin and death. That is the strength God gives us. That is what it means to say God is my strength. In addition to the world and our flesh, we also have an enemy to our souls who is prowling about seeking whom he may devour. I have watched him devour Christian friends of mine. I know the devil is almost unheard of in popular Christianity because it doesn't lead to higher offerings to mention him. People love to hear how he is defeated but do not want to hear about how he still is seeking to steal, kill and destroy. But God tells us how to defeat Satan:
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. -- James 4: 7 (NLT)
We always talk about the resisting but fail often to mention the requirement -- humble ourselves before God! What is the opposite of humility? Pride. When we are proud we think we can do things within our own strength or give ourselves credit for the victories God has given us. When the Lord is my strength I know that He alone will make the way and He alone deserves the glory. I simply have to follow and obey.
Continuing in the key verses we see that not only is God our strength but God is also our song! Have you ever had a song that was yours? You know, that favorite song that whenever it comes on the radio, everything has to stop. People hear you singing it but you don't care! That is what God is supposed to be in our lives. Our favorite song is first of all -- always on our mind. It rambles around in our head throughout the day and we find ourselves humming it unconsciously. That is who God is supposed to be in our lives. Constantly rambling around in our head. Everything we experience in life should be placed through our God filter. We should be constantly thinking about what God says about everything.
