POWER TO THE FAINT

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength” – Isaiah 40:29    
   It is not hard to find someone who will give support to the powerful, attention to the famous, notice to the remarkable, or recognition to the accomplished. Virtually everyone is willing to jump on the bandwagon of some well-known, talented, or beautiful person.
   
   But God gives encouragement to the faint. He gives strength to the exhausted. He does not join the crowds hurrying after celebrities; He seeks out the broken-hearted and the overlooked and gives them the greatest honor imaginable — His attention and His love.
   
   This is not because God is a cosmic talent-scout, finding the individual diamonds in the many roughs throughout the world. It is to those who truly have no merit, who can stake no claim to His assets, who have no might that He sends reinforcements of strength and provision. It is God’s grace, not our value, that draws Him to hurting, helpless humanity.
   
   While this is humbling—even humiliating—to realize, it is also liberating and invigorating. We can let all our collected claims of good works and inherent worth fall around our feet as we reach out to a God Who only heals the sick, Who only mends the broken, Who only gives strength to the powerless.
   
   How do you see yourself? It doesn’t matter how others might describe you; perhaps they even consider you among the great, the mighty, the successful. But are you broken-hearted and helpless before the Lord? If so, then prepare for a strength infusion from the most High Himself. (Baptist Bible Hour)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:- “Phil. 2:5

Faith is not simply an intellectual experience of a statement of fact, but it is our personal trust and confidence in Him of whom the fact is true. We are not saved merely because we believe that Jesus Christ died for us on the Cross, but because we trust in Him who died. It is the personal touch between Christ and ourselves that causes His life to pass into our nature, making us sound and healthy, as well as secure and safe.

What does the Cross mean to you and me? Does it not mean that there our Lord gave Himself absolutely to the Father’s will? Never in any way did He make Himself the origin and fountain of His action, but was ever the empty channel through which God poured Himself. “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” It seemed as if He went down lower and lower, on rung after rung of the ladder until He reached Hades, giving up everything only to follow the Will of God; but out of the lowest depths God raised Him to the Eternal Throne.

In each one of us there is strong self-will. You say, “I am resolved to be a good man or woman, to live a noble life, to give up bad habits—I will.” But it can never be accomplished in that way. It is only when we are willing to see ourselves, our own energy, our good self as well as our bad self brought to an end on the Cross of Jesus, that we shall be able to enter into and live His eternal life.

At this moment I would summon you to stand beneath the Cross and to see there One who entirely yielded up His own will. More than that, I want you to see your self-life nailed there, and turn from it to God in adoration, saying that you are prepared to be weak and helpless so far as your own energies are concerned, that He may put forth in your life the mighty energy of that power which raised Christ from the dead. It is only when we are weak that we are really strong; it is only when we surrender ourselves to the power of the Cross, so that we realize that we have been crucified with Christ, that we are able to share in His eternal victory over the devil and the power of evil.

O God, Thou hast revealed Thyself to us in Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We love Him, because He endured the Cross, and despised the shame in order to save us. May we follow Him by the way of the Cross, bearing His reproach, sharing His griefs, obedient even unto death, that we may also live and reign with Him here, and more perfectly at last. Amen.– F. B. Meyer

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”- Matt. 11:28
There is no rest for the Christian in the world. There will be always something to disturb, perplex or distress him; it is an enemy’s land. But Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” He does so by enabling us to rely on His word, recognise His hand, submit to His will, and trust in His perfect work. He assures us that our sins are forgiven us; that our persons are safe in His keeping; that His presence shall always be with us; and that all things shall work together for the best. We can rest on His faithfulness; He has been tried, and found faithful. We can rest on His love, for it knows not the shadow of a turn. We can rest on His power, it is ever engaged on our behalf. We can rest on His covenant, it is ordered in all things and sure. We can rest on His blood; it speaks peace, pardon, and acceptance with God. We can rest at His feet; there we are safe, and can never be injured. We cannot rest on our graces, on our comforts, on our friends, or on our possessions; but we may rest on Jesus. We should rest on Him with unshaken confidence and
 In the ark, the weary dove
 Found a welcome resting place;
 Thus my spirit longs to prove,
 Rest in Christ, the Ark of grace. – James Smith, 1840

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346