EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH THROUGH INSTRUCTION

“Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral action!” — A. W. Tozer

“Anxiety never strengthens you for tomorrow; it only weakens you for today.” — Source Unknown

“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize the Lord is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult, His grace is sufficient.” — Hudson Taylor

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself” (Matt. 6:34).

Here Jesus is instructing us not to be anxious about the future. He is telling us not to worry, fret, obsess, or fear what tomorrow may bring. In the preceding verses He plainly charges us not to be concerned about provisions and apparel. He says life is more important than food, and the body is more important than clothing. Then He assures us that our Father will supply both (Matt. 6:25–33). Yesterday is over. Tomorrow may not arrive — so you should immerse yourself in today. “One finds constantly that 90 percent of our trials and sorrows are made up of anticipated or imaginary evils, which exist only in our disordered, unbelieving minds,” said a wise individual. We would do well to take strict heed to this instruction: don’t worry about tomorrow.

Anxiety depletes us, but faith builds us up. Doubt destroys, but courage sustains. Uncertainty breeds fear, but trust brings confidence. Faith is simply confidence in the character of God. And confidence means that you can take God at His Word. H. W. Smith says, “I can assert boldly, and without fear of contradiction, that it is impossible for anyone who really knows God to have uncomfortable thoughts about Him. Plenty of outward discomforts there may be, and many earthly sorrows and trials, but through them all the soul that knows God cannot but dwell inwardly in a fortress of perfect peace.”

The Bible contains many instructions. His instructions are His directives — His commands. Heeding God’s instructions will fortify your soul. Your obedience builds your faith, and successes in the faith realm build up your spiritual man. Repeated victories only serve to increase your confidence. Isaiah 30:15 says, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”

Jesus said, “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matt. 7:24–25). The wise man not only heard Jesus’ sayings, but heeded His instructions. And when the storms beat upon his dwelling, it stood up under those tests. Wise people act on every one of Christ’s mandates, and the inner power that develops within fortifies and prepares them for future tests and hardships.

Paul’s long walk of faith trained him to be content in abundance or scarcity. Through a lifestyle of trusting and obeying, he was strong in the Lord. Obedience is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile. Paul obeyed the Lord in spite of its potential outcomes. His allegiance to Christ’s commands was his single concentration. And God empowered him to run the race and finish his course with joy.

The best thing you can do today is to heed every instruction that God brings to your attention. Walk in the light you have. Obey every command. Go all in when it comes to complying with God’s will. Never imitate the Israelites in halting between two opinions. Without reservation, follow every prompting of God. Each successive obedience empowers you for the next step. Obedience does indeed bring blessing, but the blessing is not only reaping the fruit of your actions. It is the unseen reinforcement of your inner man that comes through heeding Christ’s instructions. In times when you don’t know what to do next, do all you know to do, and the next step will become evident.

Thought Questions:

• Are you clearing your mind of all imaginary evils that may never happen and immersing yourself in where God has you today?
• Are you actively hearing God’s instructions?
• Have you gone all in when it comes to complying to God’s will?

This chapter was written by Evangelist Harold Vaughan

Taken from “Extraordinary Strength in Adversity” by Harold Vaughan. CLICK HERE for more information on the book.