He Shall Strengthen Your Heart

At times life brings things that are just hard to understand....things that we really don't have answers for....things that are just plain....tough....hard....and unrelenting!  I've been sitting here this morning trying to process through some of these things in my life and really....I'm having no success in doing that.  There's just one thought through all of this that I keep coming back to....

JESUS....He is the One constant good in my life!

When I first got up this morning I read a devotion on line.  It talked about being a follower of Jesus and not just a fan....we must totally surrender ourselves to Him.  Give up our will for His....good stuff and oh so true.  Then I read a few random scriptures but really....just couldn't get my mind to focus on anything.  At this point I started to write because it usually helps me to start to think on what is really important in my life....Jesus and my relationship with Him.  At this point I noticed the book laying on my desk....52 Weeks With Jesus....

As my mind keeps going to things I don't want to think about I find my eyes keep being drawn over to that book.  Every time I look at it I think....why?  Why do I keep looking at this?  Well, I'm getting that....no matter what is happening I need to focus on Him....Jesus.  No matter what He is where my focus needs to be!  I flipped the pages of my bible back to the Psalms because....somehow....I just always feel better when I read from there.  This is the verse my eyes went too....

Psalm 31:24 NLT
So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!


I didn't notice at first but off to the side I had written the NKJ version of the verse....

Psalm 31:24 NKJ
Be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart,
all you who hope in the Lord!

He shall strengthen your heart!  Really what I needed to know in this early morning.  My strength can only come from the Lord.  Within myself I really don't have much but through Jesus I will have what I need.  Which takes me back to....

Psalm 16:8 
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.

That doesn't mean that things that happen won't bother us....even rock us to our core at times!  No.  It just means that we will know that the Lord is with us....right beside us....and we won't have that hopeless feeling that unbelievers have.  If....or when....we start to have those types of feelings we only have to call on Jesus and ask Him to help us....to cover us....to give us strength. 

1 Peter 5:7

⁷ Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

"until we see JESUS....face to face"