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This Kind of Strength for You Today

So I’m making dinner and I say, Four more minutes, guys.

But you said nine minutes five minutes ago, my husband said.

Silence from the kitchen.

Um, oh, sorry, I said.

Laughter from the living room.

Give me a spelling bee any day over any kind of math problem.

Which makes it ironic that I love addition when it comes to the Bible. This plus this equals this.

A few days ago I was reading from my One-Year Bible (I’m still working on it, people.) On the left side of the page were Paul’s words to Timothy:

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  (2 Timothy 2:1 NIV)

On the right side of the page were the psalmist’s words of praise:

The seas have lifted up, O Lord,

the seas have lifted up their voice;

the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea –

The Lord on high is mighty.

(Psalm 93:3-4 NIV)

And when I added those two passages together I was back in Hawaii, this land-locked Wyoming girl sitting for hours by the ocean –entranced by the force of the waves coming in. I see the grace of Christ is white capped and crashing hard into the shore.

God gives grace + God is mightier than the ocean = God gives grace that comes in like the breakers of the sea.

It's no small strength you need to make it through this day. -christyfitzwater.com

Be afraid of the ocean, my dad told me several times before we took our Hawaii trip many years ago. This was a man who did a tour of duty in the Vietnam conflict, and he was stationed out of Guam. He had me half terrified of rip tides and ocean currents that could carry me out to my death before I knew it. Water is a powerful force.

Grace has lifted its voice.

The grace of Christ has lifted up its pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters is the Source of grace Christ offers to us today.

And all we have to do is pray, Lord give me strength.