Being strong is important. King David told Solomon to “be strong, and show yourself a man” (1 Kings 2:2 ESV) when he gave his final exhortations to him before he passed away.
Being strong is part of what we have to do in order to fulfill what God has called us to do. It is true that God has prepared good works for us in advance (Ephesians 2:10), and the reality is that those good works do not get done by themselves.
It may seem obvious that we need to do our part. And that is true. What isn’t always totally obvious is where is the line between my own strength and the strength He gives me. Or, where is the distinction between “self-confidence” and “God-confidence.”
I would simply say it like this–if I am fully confident that I can do it in my own strength–it probably is true. The question isn’t whether or not I have the capacity to complete the task at hand; the question is whether or not I am approaching that task in the right way.
You can have a task that you can do in your own strength or by your own might. These can even be things that are connected to your faith and that are done under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus addresses this in his very first sermon. He addresses this in His very first sermon. Let’s take a look at that text:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NASB95)
There is a lot that is in here. Let’s take a look at what Jesus focuses on the underlying issue in verse 23. First, the Greek verb in the phrase “knew you” is the verb ginosko (Strong’s G1097). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes the use of this verb in Matthew 7:23 as “I never knew you, never had any acquaintance with you.”
Is it possible to be empowered by God and lose a sense of His touch? Can we start out in a direction anointing and appointed for a task and somehow, someway start to do that task in our own strength?
Samson is an example. He started out anointed by God and did many powerful exploits. It somehow changed for Him. Time and time again the power of God was there and he would perform miraculous feats of power. Then, a day came when he tried to do what he had done before but he couldn’t–because the the Lord had left him–yet he didn’t know it (Judges 16:20).
Pause and Ponder: Is there any area of life that you are so strong in that if you aren’t careful it could easily become more about you and your ability to do it?
Samson continued to “flex” with Delilah. He was playing with fire. He would make up stories (described in Judges 16) about his strength and how he could lose it. He for sure did not have the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10) as it related to His anointing on His life.
Why would I say that? He treated his gift as something of a toy that he could use at will. Turn it on and off.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we could use His anointing on our life for our own ends and not His.
We are part of a grander scheme–if we choose to participate in that. See, God works all things together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). “All things” include any and everything, and work together is that God works things together in a way that we could never imagine or ever put together ourselves.
This is God’s part–He has the capacity to work all things together for the good. He can do things we can’t even fathom. But, the second end of that verse is very important–God isn’t Santa Clause. He isn’t putting it all together for everyone; He is putting it together for people who have two qualifiers–those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.
Samson was for sure set apart with a purpose (Judges 13:5). But who did He love? It says that he loved Delilah (Judges 16:4). Samson was outwardly consecrated–his hair never having been cut–and God used him in mighty ways. But his heart he gave to Delilah. He loved her.
Jesus said that where your treasure is there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart with all diligence for out of it flows everything you do.
Love is shown in choices made. Samson chose Delilah over guarding his heart and the secret of his outward consecration (his hair never being shaved). Samson knew that if his hair was ever cut that he would lose all of his supernatural strength. Delilah was determined to find this out. It says in Judges 16:16 that she pushed him to tell her to the point that Samson’s “soul was vexed to death” (Judges 16:16 ESV).
Samson knew there was a line of consecration to the Lord. He knew that if his head was ever shaved he would lose His strength and become like any average man (Judges 16:17).
Samson knew the line in his head. But did he believe it in his heart? He had done so many miraculous feats of strength. Did he begin to think at some point that his strength would never leave even if he violated what God had told him?
It is very sad that he thought that he could do it on his own. After he shares all of this and his head is shaved, he tries to do what he had done time and time again. But, he didn’t realize the Spirit of God was gone (Judges 16:20).
There are a lot of different possible applications here. But, can we consider one distinctly today?
Let’s circle back to what Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount. He said that there were people that did miraculous feats in His name. Like Samson, people that were instruments for God’s miraculous power.
But, inwardly, they had never come to a place of intimately knowing the Lord. They were not walking in a place of intimacy with Him. Samson had a sign of outward consecration–his hair was never cut. But, inwardly, his heart was cold to the Lord. How can I say that? If our heart is cold to the Lord, we lose our sense of touch from Him. Just as with frostbite, we can’t feel anything. Samson couldn’t feel the Lord in His heart, so when the Lord left Him he didn’t even realize it.
Maybe the example of Samson’s hair is a good one for us. This was a form of outward consecration, but not consecration of the heart. Would it be safe to say that the list of people Jesus is referring to (in Matthew 7:21-23) were operating in a form of outward consecration–with no inward intimacy with Him? That is how Jesus described them. He said they never knew (were intimate) with Him.
This can be seen in a broad sense. But, what about down to a micro-level of the day-to-day. What about areas of strength God has given us? Areas that we can be “outwardly consecrated” to Him but “inwardly cold" to His touch.
This type of question is highly personal. But, here is the caution–are we living “outwardly” for the Lord without an inward intimacy with Him (in whatever area of life this may apply to)?
Paul said, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8 ESV) This is another point of the original language worth noting. “Knowing” is the noun gnosis (Strong’s G1108), which is related to the verb ginosko. So, it’s in the same range of being intimate.
Being intimate with Christ is the goal. We can be outwardly consecrated as described above but not be inwardly intimate. This is truly a travesty--to live a life outwardly consecrated to God but be inwardly cold to the Lord and His touch. He wants to walk with us in any and every area of life. Things that may seem mundane to you, He wants to be there in the moment. Things that may seem massive, He wants to be there in the moment.
This is a great point of inward refreshing. He simply wants to know us and for us to know Him in any and every area of life. The big and the small–He wants to be a part of it all. All we have to do, right here and now, in whatever area we are working on, to pause and ponder. Are you here with me, Lord? Have I lost your touch in this moment? If so, smile. He is simply waiting for you to realize it.
To be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might.
And to experience the intimacy of knowing Him.
Each and every day and in each and every way.
To God be all the Glory.
Amen.
