“They continue to grow stronger.”
Do you feel tired?
We rarely make it through the year’s final month with the kind of rest that genuinely refreshes and revitalizes us for the upcoming year.
Imagine if a recipe existed that could make us stronger so we could move from strength to strength instead of nap to nap.
“They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:7, NIV). Strength to strength is a beautiful image. The image places a positive spin on our circumstances, focusing on the strength moments rather than the drain moments. Other translations capture the image differently.
- “They will continue to grow stronger…” (NLT)
- “They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]…” (AMP)
- “They grow stronger as they go…” (GNT)
We can expand our imaginations of strength to strength with the idea of a ceaseless supply of strength. As our strength continues, our strength builds in power that yields victory. We experience growth as we go.
Psalm 84 was one of many songs the Israelites sang on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the three yearly main festivals. Met with adversity and harsh terrain, singing or reciting Psalm 84 would be one of the ways to keep their mind alert and set on the journey’s purpose. Their focus was not on the obstacles or hardships along the way; instead, they focused on the moments they experienced strength from God.
Having a mindset of strength was more than a glass-half-full attitude. These sojourners consciously chose to focus on where their strength came from and dwell on their source of strength. They anticipated the destination while staying present with the power God offered on the journey.
How can we capture this strength formula and operate from this model?
A Strength-Based Mindset
- A strength-based mindset begins with a desire for God. Do we long for God? The pilgrims had a yearning, a longing for God. “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2, NIV).
- A strength-based mindset knows the source of their strength is Christ. The psalmist says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, (God),” not ourselves or other sources (Psalm 84:5). We know our strength comes from God through His Son. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, NLT).
- A strength-based mindset is blessed. There is a blessing for those who find their strength source to be Christ over any other. The blessing is also connected to a mind set on a journey over a destination. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84:5, NIV).
- A strength-based mindset will look for God in the worst of circumstances. “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools” (Psalm 84:6). The Valley of Baka represents deep sorrow. When our minds are set on Christ as our strength, our desert places will experience springs of water.
- A strength-based mindset travels in groups. Pilgrimages were not made alone but with groups of people. God uses community to be a conduit of His strength.
- A strength-based mindset continually speaks, sings, and meditates on God’s Word. The pilgrims were singing the words of God and would have recited His Word out loud along the way, reinforcing the truths of God that would sustain them.
These travelers could grow in their power because their mind was set on God, whom they knew to be their strength. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me” (Psalm 24:7).
Our lives can also move from strength to strength when we take our focus off the hardship and onto our source of power, Christ. When Immanuel, God, who is always with us, is our focal point, He empowers us to walk through the darkest valleys.
I pray that you will move from strength to strength in the season ahead of you. May your mind always be set on the things above and from Whom your source of power is. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: Jesus is my strength.
Reflect: When was the last time you felt close to God? How can you rely on the strength to empower you? Were there any bullet points from the above strength-based list that need more focus in your life? How can you shift your mind to move from strength to strength in the days and months ahead?
Deeper: Psalm 84, Psalm 28; Philippians 4:8-13; (See also Psalms 120-134, known for being Psalms recited on the ascent to Jerusalem.)
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(Bible References: NRSVUE – NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version, AMP – Amplified Version, GNT – Good News Translation)
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