SUPPORT SYSTEM (Psalm 62)

God said this once and for all; how many times have I heard it repeated?
"Strength comes straight from God." (Psalms 62:11, MSG)

This verse won out tonight because David repeated it twice in twelve short verses.

In case you don't know it, when the Bible repeats something, God is saying, sit up and take notice!

"Strength comes straight from God" has been repeated so often that it has become a common expression, along the lines of (the nonbiblical) saying, Cleanliness is next to godliness and the (inaccurately quoted) verse Money is the root of all evil. (The verse actually says, the love of money is the root of all evil.) In the case of this verse, however, I believe the quotation represents truth. If we went through the Psalms alone, we would find dozens of reference to God's strength, His stronghold, giving us strength, and so on.

Like so many other things I have encountered in the Psalms, this one brought a favorite New Testament verse to mind: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

As in the earlier post on self-help, this one emphasizes the same central truth: It doesn't all depend on you. In fact, given David's words here, even the strength we have comes straight from God.

But what is strength? The first thing I think of is "the world's strongest man," like Atlas who carried the world on his shoulders. But that isn't the kind of strength David is referring to here. I never have been nor will I ever be strong in that sense; but I can be strong.

The Bing dictionary gives us two additional definitions: emotional toughness and source of support. Oh, my, yes. God is my support system. With Him, I can do anything and everything He gives me to do. Without Him, I am likely to trip and fall. (And then He picks me back up.)

Let us repeat the words. Let us sing the songs. Most of all, let us live in His strength.

P.S. Saturday is my birthday. I would love to hear your favorite verses and receive your good wishes all weekend long. I'll also be looking for a verse for the year. This one would be a good contender!

Today's favorite verse: You've always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, a lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest. You've always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you. (Psalm 61:3-5, MSG)