Morning By Morning #53

His bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob.

Genesis 49:24

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

The strength God gives His “Josephs” is real strength, not boastful fictional accounts of bravery that go up in smoke once the facts are known, but true divine strength. How was Joseph able to withstand such strong temptation? Because God helped him, for there is nothing we can do without the power of God. All true strength comes from “the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Notice what a blessed and familiar way God gave His strength to Joseph: “His strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob.” God placed His hands on the arms of Joseph. Just as a father teaches his children, the Lord teaches those who fear Him, laying His arms upon them.

What a wonderful act of humiliation! God Almighty, the Eternal, and the Omnipotent stooped from His throne to lay His hand on His child’s hand and stretched out His arm to place it upon Joseph’s arm that He might be made strong! The strength He gave was also the strength of the covenant made with Jacob, for it was attributed to “the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Thus, whenever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, remember God’s covenant with him. Christians love to think of God’s covenant, for all the power, grace, blessings, mercies, and comforts—in fact, everything we have—flow to us from “the Source of the Stream” through the covenant. If there were no covenant we would indeed fail, for all grace springs from it just as light and heat radiate from the sun. And no angels ascend or descend from heaven except on the ladder Jacob saw, which had a covenant God standing at its top.

Dear Christian, it may be the Enemy’s archers have painfully grieved you, wounding you with their arrows. Yet, like Joseph, your “bow remain[s] steady” and your arms strong. Be sure, therefore, to attribute all the glory for this strength to Jacob’s God.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

God also told Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:6). But how do we obtain the strength we will need for battle in this life? “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength’” (Isa. 30:15), and “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). Also, “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Ex. 15:2); “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped” (Ps. 28:7); “0 my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God” (Ps. 59:17); and “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights” (Hab. 3:19).

Dear Lord, “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling” (Ex. 15:13). “Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before” (Ps. 68:28). “Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant” (Ps. 86:16).

“I love you, O LORD, my strength” (Ps. 18:1). “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might” (Ps. 21:13).