I’d like to tell you about a really amazing thing that happened to me yesterday.

First of all, you guys remember that I’m participating in a Daniel Fast right now. And Wednesday was AWFUL. The girls hadn’t slept well all night, I woke up feeling rung out and just couldn’t shake it, but couldn’t even get a nap because of the constant in and out and dealing with contractors (We’re in the midst of renovating our home. While we are living in it.) And I was just so emotionally drained trying to be both Mommy and Daddy while my husband is serving overseas right now. I was truly weary. That night I begged God for help. And sleep.

 And I got it. Really. Almost a full night of sleep. It was amazing.

 As soon as I got the girls to preschool, I committed to truly sit down and pray. During that awful day on Wednesday, I had been unpacking (surprise, surprise) and found this collage poster that I had made in high school. And something taped on there caught my eye. It was 1 Chronicles 28:20. That verse came to me in the morning and I used that during my devotional time. 

Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

1 Chronicles 28:20 (esv)

Here is a slightly different translation of the same verse:

Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly. 

1 Chronicles 28:20 (nlt)

First of all, often in the Bible we’re told to be “be strong” and “be of good courage.” But how often is it that we (and by we, I mean me) forget that “God is our strength?” God doesn’t tell us to be strong and then actually expect to do that on our own. We can’t! Every time He tells us to do something, He gives everything we need to actually do it. Just like the parenting experts tell us in child-rearing, God sets us up for success!

I have been going through one of the hardest seasons in my life thus far, really trying to “be strong and courageous” on my own. Then I’d feel like a complete failure that I just couldn’t do it. I AM WEAK. I am puny. I am absolutely nothing. But God is MIGHTY. God is POWERFUL.

Looking at this verse, I came to this realization yesterday. I begged God, “Please by my strength because I am completely physically and emotionally weak. Please be my courage and please be my hope.” It’s true, I have been living in total fear and dismay and there is nothing that can pull me up out of that. I can’t do it, for sure. But nothing is impossible to God. NOTHING.

As I was praying, I really felt God was telling me to just “do the work.” Don’t get overwhelmed, don’t freak out at the quantity of work needed to be done. Just do it, as they say in the Nike ads. Don’t think, don’t whatever. Just DO THE WORK.

To this, I told God, “Okay, God, I really am willing to do the work. I really want to get this done. I can’t do it on my own physical strength and stamina. Please give me Your strength. If You can move mountains You can certainly move that mountain of boxes.”

And He did. I got so much done yesterday! I made a huge massive dent in that mountain of mine. I felt strength and stamina and energy flowing through me all day long. On top of that I felt emotionally stronger than I have in weeks. God gave me the courage to face that day and get through it. God gave me the hope to realize there is light at the end of this particular tunnel.

God is good. All the time, God is good.