Each Wednesday, a devotion is posted here, sent via email to our email list and also posted on our Facebook page. If you would like to be part of our email list please contact the church office. In addition, check out past Devotions on our Facebook page.
I often receive feedback that the devotions are rich in content and are complex. Reading devotions whether short and concise or longer and complicated should never be read once quickly. All types of devotions should be read multiple times using contemplation, reflection and pausing. In those spaces of contemplation and reflection we experience the Holy Spirit interacting with us. Sometimes, individuals will reach out and provide their thoughts and reflections on their devotion. My intent has always been to create a dialogue. So read these in the way that best works for you to experience the Holy Spirit and create a dialogue with others in our community.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Hi St. Andrew’s UMC Community ….
Today we consider strength! Are you strong? Where are you strong? How does God provide strength for you? The bible is filled with passages about how God provides strength. Do you experience God as one who provides you the strength to face life? Today we consider - where is your strength?
Where is Your Strength?
Psalm 46:1 (46:2 Jewish/Israel Bible)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (CJB)
How does God protect you? How does God protect others? This question is difficult to answer when we witness or experience abuse, violence, war, natural disasters, etc. It seems that God doesn’t always protect those who need protection when they need it. Faith in God is not about getting what we want, it is about knowing God is a refuge and strength in troubled times. So, how is God a refuge and strength?
For me there was a time in my life that I wondered if I should continue going on. I remember saying to God, I need help, and in that moment, I felt filled with strength and felt that God provided a place of refuge for my weariness. I felt I could manage my challenges. Not necessarily solve them but manage them. Has this ever happened to you, that you felt so overwhelmed you didn’t know what to do next and when you reached out to God – you felt a sense of safety and strength you couldn’t explain but knew was there?
The Hebrew word translated as "ever-present" is descriptive of God always being ready for a relationship with anyone. In the NRSVUE the word is translated as very present. Both translations emphasize an active verb which means that is it occurring now. So anytime anyone reaches out to God in trouble, God’s presence is already there, providing a refuge and strength. It doesn’t mean that the trouble will stop, but it could mean that. It means that even in the midst of trouble, we can be filled with God’s strength that allows us to continue moving forward. Can you relate? Where have you reached out to God when you were in trouble and you found strength to continue moving forward?
Dear God, thank You for being an ever-present strength and refuge for me. I am sorry I don’t reach out more to You for that strength and refuge. I often try to live life on my own, when I need to live life with You. Thank you for always being there regardless of what occurs – I know You will always fill me with the strength to move forward. Amen.
(Image from: https://canyonministries.org/our-refuge-and-strength/)
by Rev Dave Piltz
