Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Stand in his strength alone;
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ (Is. 12:2)
God alone is able to preserve individuals from destruction and danger; to deliver the Christian from his enemies and lead him to victory. In Him the believer can find strength, power, force, and support. In Christ alone the Christian is enabled to stand firm, neither breaking nor yielding when an attack comes against him. Every day the believer faces trials and temptations externally through other people and circumstances, giving cause for anger, lust, and other works of the flesh. Tribulations also arise within the individual, troubling the affections and passions of one’s heart and mind, evidenced in the thoughts and imaginations. God wants to give His people the victory when beset by attacks from within and without. How blessed is the believer that can accept such trials as opportunities to increase faith in their Savior for He is a refuge and strength for the one who has placed his trust in Him, He is a very present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1).
Beware, however, that when we seek to be set free from the attacks of the evil one in our own strength, we negate God’s power. God strengthens us through faith in Jesus. We must fix our heart on Him and praise Him, trusting Him during the trials we encounter. We evidence our trust in Him, our source of strength, when we confide in Him through prayer and actions, knowing that in His hands we are safe. He is our strength and song, the strength of our life, the song of our heart. To trust God is to have faith in Him and believe on the One He has sent. From this flows the message of our life, ever unfolding as we increase in understanding what it means for God to be our salvation—the One we can trust no matter what circumstances we face.
Do you trust God? Is the Lord your strength and hope? Do you feel as though you are living in a whirlwind of frantic thoughts and emotions? Let your weakness become God’s strength. Let Him pour out His grace upon you that you might find strength in Him as you heed His gentle voice speaking softly in your soul. When you are weak, you can be strong, able, and powerful when you draw from Jesus’ unlimited strength. His grace is sufficient, His power is perfect and complete in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Today is your day to “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone.”