Daily Affirmations - Day 5 - Strength to Strength - The Blessing of Presence
- Alisa B.
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Day 5: The blessing of Presence
Blessed are those whose strength is in You… They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion (Psalm 84:5, 7).
Lord Almighty, our King and our God, we praise You with the words of the psalmist, "You God, are awesome in Your sanctuary, [You] give power and strength to Your people" (Psalm 68:35).
You gave a promise to Your people, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5). For Moses, that was enough, and he entreated, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here..." (Exodus 33:15).
Lord Jesus, You did not seek to shield us from the truth about the difficulties of this life. "In this world you will have trouble," was Your honest, unflinching statement of fact. You who would bear the weight of the world's sin knew more than we ever could about the depths of evil and depravity of this world. "But take heart!" You encouraged us. "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Although the disciples little understood it then, and although we too, often do not understand as we should, You promised the One thing that would enable us to live in the strength and the victory by which You have overcome the world— Your very Presence:
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:18).
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them” (John 17:25-26).
O Lord, help us to grasp what Moses knew (Exodus 33); what the Sons of Korah sang about (Psalm 84): Your Presence gives us the strength we need to go through every troubled event and circumstance of this life. Your Presence is the difference between the comfort of hope and the bleakness of despair.
If not for Your Presence, Moses asks, what else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? (Exodus 33:16). And the Sons of Korah echo the idea of the special blessing Your Presence brings— even the Valley of Weeping is transformed (Psalm 84:5-7).
O Lord, Let Your Presence go with us. Otherwise, how else will we find the strength for this journey?
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