Building strong muscles...

I was reading this morning in Proverbs 24:10 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." I have also been praying Proverbs 31 every morning asking God to make me a Virtuous Woman... One of the verses says "She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms. Another says "Strength and honor are her clothing..." Like I said I've been praying these verses every morning lately... But, instead of feeling stronger I have been feeling weaker... Funny how the Lord works.

I'm not going to get into the situations and circumstances that have contributed to this because I would only be trying to win your sympathy and some of you are not at the same stage in life so you might not even understand... BUT, I believe you do understand no matter where you are being tired, discouraged, weak, and maybe feelings of not having enough of you to go around...

Anyways, today I was mulling over that verse in my head as I feel like I'm about to drop dead from emotional and physical exhaustion. "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." Over and again I repeat that to myself... Man my strength must be pretty darn small if I'm fainting at this. Then I started to pray to the Lord. I love the verse that says the Spirit makes intercession for us because we don't even know what to pray for. There have been times in my life where I pray something thinking that it was my own thought only to a few minutes later realize that God put that prayer there because He was about to show me something... I love those times because I KNOW that He cares for my little stuff and I KNOW that He understands and I KNOW that He will be my strength when I am just too weak... I love Him so...

So, I'm praying Lord, you know I've been praying for strength and I know that I have to go through all this stuff so that you can make me stronger, but Lord I feel weaker. AND then He said the craziest thing to my heart. He said "Beloved, you only feel weaker, but YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU USED TO BE." Then He gave me a mental picture of how physical exercise feels like it's making us more tired, but it's not it is actually giving us more energy. Physical exercise makes our muscles hurt at first, but only because they are getting stronger. We would never endure anything if we never exorcised and so it is with God. I have been praying to be stronger and feeling weaker, but this is all necessary for me to have the strength to endure what ever comes my way next. This time of weakness is making me stronger for next time. When I am weak, He is strong. The Joy of the Lord is my Strength.

Thank you Lord for being faithful to answer our prayers even when we don't see that you are. My thoughts are not your thoughts. Your WAYS so much higher than mine. Your WAY of doing things is PERFECT, and my understanding is so limited, but YOU are so kind that sometimes you will even explain to your child, your servant, your creation what you are doing... Thank you that when I am in the refining fire you are sitting there intently watching me so I am not destroyed by the heat. Thank you Lord that you will not allow me to stay the way I am. YOU are AMAZING... I am undone in your presence...