Psalm 86:16

“Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give Your strength to Your servant,
and save the son of Your maidservant.”

One of the more revelatory truths the Bible tells us (Christians) that we tend to forget about is this: God doesn’t call us to live out our Christian faith on our own strength alone, but He tells us to receive and depend on Him and His strength. “… not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6b)

This is a truth that I have to be reminded of often. So frequently in life we are trying and trying to do things on our own. I find myself in the midst of planning some event or working on something in-the-moment and I realize that I’m operating under the belief that this thing is going to happen because of me and the efforts that I’m putting into whatever it is I’m doing.

I need to be reminded that I need God’s strength to truly complete the tasks that He has set before me. I need this reminder often.

In Psalm 86 David is crying out and asking the Lord to grant him His strength. David knew that his own strength wasn’t enough for what he had to do and that God was waiting and willing to give him all the strength he needed. However, the verse is not just about God giving just anyone His strength.

Take a closer look at the second line in the verse: “give Your strength to Your servant.” That’s an important point. It reminds us that while God gives us His strength, He also expects us to apply His strength toward His service.

Now this doesn’t mean you have to sell all your possessions and spend the rest of your life on the mission field (although it’s not a bad place to find yourself). Serving the Lord is a matter of being obedient to the calling He’s placed on our lives; whether it’s to be a stay-at-home mom who disciples her children, a CEO who represents righteousness in the boardroom, or a sales associate who treats every customer the way Jesus would. Serving is simply doing what God has called us to do.

Sometimes we wonder why our lives aren’t overflowing with the Lord’s power and strength. But the real question is, what are we doing with our lives? Are we just interested in our own thing, or are we committed to using God’s strength in His service?

Think about it …