Scripture to Memorize
Review entire passage—Proverbs 31:10–31.
Passage to Read
David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 AMP
Guided Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for making the Bible so real. It helps me to know that even a man after your own heart like David had times when he was greatly distressed. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have people to whom you have devoted your life threatening to stone you. But hurting people hurt people. There have been times in my life when people I dearly love have lashed out in anger, not with stones but with words that hurt almost as much. Yet even in the worst of trials, David was able to reach deep within his spirit to that place where he knew what a faithful God he served. What an example he set for all of us, as he encouraged and strengthened himself in you!
Lord, you know I would much prefer to have everything go my way and never be in distress at all. My second choice would be to always have all the love and support I need when times are tough. But that’s not reality. I know there will inevitably be times in my life when I am greatly distressed. There will be times when the people I thought I could count on just aren’t there for me—they might even turn against me. And it’s in those moments, Holy Spirit, when I will need you most. Empower me and teach me how to encourage and strengthen myself in the Lord my God. I know I can always count on you, no matter what else happens. Thank you for being such a faithful God. Amen.
Personal
We all need people in our lives who encourage and strengthen us. But what about those times when even our most trusted friends are nowhere to be found? Has that ever happened to you? It happened to David. At one of the lowest moments of his life, when his wife and children had been kidnapped, no human being could comfort him because they all had “their own stuff” to deal with.
Fortunately, David had learned something all of us must learn: how to encourage and strengthen himself. We also need to take proactive steps to strengthen ourselves. You can’t always rely on someone else. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn put it, “You can’t hire someone else to do your push-ups for you.”
By undertaking this study, you have set out on a path to strengthen yourself. You became mindful of your weaknesses and made a determined effort to focus on improving. That’s fantastic. Now it must continue.
One thing I do to encourage and strengthen myself is constantly listen to good Bible teaching—in my car, in my bathroom as I get dressed in the morning, in my kitchen while I’m preparing meals or cleaning up. I used to spend a small fortune buying tapes and CDs, but these days you can listen to fabulous Bible teaching free over the Internet. Lately I’ve developed the habit of watching my favorite Bible teacher on the Internet while lifting five-pound dumbbells. It’s the ideal way to strengthen spirit, soul, and body all at the same time.
Many Bible teachers now offer podcasts and mp3s, so you can download teaching onto your iPod and strengthen yourself while you walk or run errands. Listening to uplifting praise music is another wonderful way to strengthen and encourage your spirit.
Of course listening to great Bible teachers is not a substitute for spending time in the Word of God, so even though your ninety days are nearly over, my prayer is that you’ll continue the good habits you’ve formed over the past thirteen weeks. We are so blessed to live in an era when it’s easy to strengthen ourselves with a wide range of resources. Let’s make the most of these opportunities so that when the day of great distress comes, we will be able to stand firm in the faith.
Affirmation: I encourage and strengthen myself in the Lord.
Practical
Strengthen yourself spiritually by availing yourself of great Bible teaching, whether through radio, television, audios, CDs, DVDs, or the Internet. Be sure to continue with the positive spiritual disciplines you’ve developed during our ninety days together, including daily Scripture reading, Scripture memorization, and prayer.