Daily Devotional for Friday, August 21

A Strong Nation

“In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever,” Micah 4:6, 7.
One of the ways that God baffles the understanding of mere mortals is that He uses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. In doing so He at times breaks a person down before He strengthens them. One of God’s promises to Israel was that he we would make them a strong nation.
The Lord would perform this promise to Israel after the judgment He would bring upon them as a nation. The people of Israel, while in the midst of God’s judgment, probably had no thoughts that they would one day be a strong nation. However, God’s plans are different than the plans of man.
The Lord first humbled the nation of Israel, they knew they were lame, cast off and afflicted with no strength. Once they recognized their condition then God would show them His strength to restore, refresh and reinvigorate them.
In the life of a believer, God often performs the same work. You make think you can live life by your own strength. But God then allows a situation in your life that humbles you so that you realize how weak you are without His power. God may allow affliction, He may bring chastisement, you may experience loss. However, in the midst of your difficulty, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

FINAL THOUGHT
God often weakens us so that we can learn that our strength comes from Him.

Andrew McClung