“As Your Days So Shall Your Strength Be”
“Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25 NKJV
But who was Asher?
In Genesis 30:12-13 we find: “Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, 'How happy I am! The women will call me happy.' So she named him Asher".
What a wonderful meaning to his name, I wonder if he was a happy child?
When the land was divided among the twelve tribes, Asher inherited a coastal territory that was exceptionally fertile and prosperous.
Furthermore, in Luke 2:36-38(ESV), we read about a prophetess named Anna who was from the tribe of Asher. Following the death of her husband she was daily in the temple, worshipping and praying to God. She was there the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple. “And as she approached that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Now that we have a bit of background on Asher, let’s focus on the blessing of Moses, particularly the phrase “As your days, so shall your strength be.” A promise that he would be strengthened throughout his entire life!
Can this promise apply to us today as well?
I was curious about the frequency of the word “strength” in the Bible. According to Got Questions, the word “strength” and its variations are used 360 times. Wow!
So, what is strength? One dictionary definition describes it as “the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance; toughness; impregnability.” Don’t you love the words “endurance,” “toughness,” and “impregnability”? They make it sound like nothing can bring us down.
Reminds me of Matthew 7:24-25, where Jesus says, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (NIV)
Jesus is our “rock,” our unwavering foundation. When we read, meditate, and study God’s word, it fortifies us, enabling us to withstand life’s storms. However, we don’t rely solely on our own strength; instead, we draw strength from the Lord. (See Zechariah 4:6) and Philippians 2:13 (amplified version)[“Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is continually working within you [energizing and creating within you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction, and delight.”
Psalm 28:7 (ESV) states, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Similarly, Habakkuk 3:19 (ESV) affirms, “God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.”
We don’t face our challenges or daily trials alone; God is our Strength! It doesn’t specify our possessions, money, or a particular person. It simply declares, “The Lord is my strength.”
What does it mean for the Lord to be my strength in my daily life?
In Isaiah 40:29-31, it says, “He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might He increases strength…but they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”
Is His strength the courage to persevere when I feel like giving up? Is it the ability to remain silent when I want to defend myself against hurtful words? Is His strength found in the ability to rise again after being knocked down repeatedly? Perhaps it’s in each of these and more in some small way.
Nehemiah 8:10 states, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” But what does that mean? How can His joy become my strength?
I think of people like Elisabeth Elliot and Corrie Ten Boom. Despite their lives being filled with loss, pain, trials, and struggles, they found joy in the Lord and placed their hope in Him, not in their circumstances.
Psalm 59:16 (ESV) beautifully captures this sentiment: “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”
When David composed this Psalm, he was being relentlessly pursued by Saul and his loyal followers, who were determined to eliminate him. Saul’s jealousy was fueled by his disobedience to God, which led to God choosing David over him to become the next King of Israel. Unable to accept this divine decision, Saul’s desire for revenge and jealousy consumed him.
In contrast, David remained steadfast in his faith, trusting in God’s power, strength, and mercy. He remembered God’s unwavering faithfulness and recognized Him as his defense and refuge during times of distress. David placed his trust in God to rescue him from his enemies and found his joy and strength in the Lord.
I’ve always been captivated by the story of Jehoshaphat, as recounted in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, was informed of an impending army that sought to wage war against them. Despite his fear, verse 3 reveals his resolve to seek the Lord. Through Jahaziel, God reassured the people, emphasizing that the battle was not theirs to fight but rather the Lord’s. Instead of succumbing to fear, they chose to sing and praise the Lord, finding their strength in His presence.
Another inspiring story is that of Nehemiah. He had diligently organized and assisted in the reconstruction of the wall of Jerusalem. Upon the return of the people from exile in Babylon, Nehemiah entrusted Ezra with reading from the Book of the Law of God to the assembled crowd. I find Nehemiah’s encouragement particularly noteworthy; he reminded the people not to grieve but to embrace the joy of the Lord, which served as their unwavering strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Furthermore, I cannot overlook the remarkable story of Paul and Silas. They had been arrested, subjected to beatings, and thrown into jail for their act of freeing a woman possessed by a spirit of divination. This act had resulted in financial losses for her owners due to the “gift” she possessed. Despite their dire circumstances, Paul and Silas chose to remain steadfast in their faith. Around midnight, they engaged in prayer and hymns, singing praises to God (Acts 16:25). Their unwavering spirit was a testament to the fact that the joy of the Lord was their source of strength.
Psalm 55:22 offers a comforting reminder to those who are overwhelmed by worries and anxieties. It encourages us to entrust our burdens to the Lord, who will provide us with the necessary sustenance and support.
Meditating on the promise found in Psalm 84:5 (ESV) can also be beneficial. It declares, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”
In times of adversity, it is essential to cultivate gratitude for the numerous blessings that grace our lives. By remembering God’s past faithfulness and goodness, we can find solace and strength. Even amidst storms and challenges, singing praises to the Lord can uplift our spirits and remind us of His unwavering presence. Furthermore, acknowledging that God is in control and that His plans are for our good rather than harm can provide us with a sense of security and hope. His promises to never leave us or forsake us serve as a powerful reminder that our strength is derived from Him, and that as our days unfold, so shall our strength be (Deuteronomy 33:25 ESV).
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