Strength

Today I had the opportunity to go to Autumn Hills elderly home to help give the church service by being one of the speakers. I felt the Spirit sooo much there and while I was giving my talk I felt it so strong that I ended my talk sooner then planned because I wasn't going to be able to talk much longer without crying(I'm emotional I guess lol). My topic was strength. This has been a big topic for me recently and I felt I should not only share my thoughts about it in my talk, but I should share it here.

Matthew 11:28 says

"Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

Christ suffered for not only our sins, but also for our pains and sorrows so He knows exactly what we are going through, which means we can go to Him in humble prayer and ask Him for help, for the strength to carry on. Our heavy loads are not for us to bear alone, and we cannot do it alone. In my life, I have learned this time and time again. Just because we think we can do it by ourselves and things seem to be going well, does not mean we're really making it or progressing in the right direction. 

The Lord will give us strength, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual, if we go to Him and ask. He wants to help us succeed in this life and when it seems like we are on the right path, but it doesn't seem like He's walking beside us, like the poem Footsteps, He is carrying us, giving us rest, until we have the strength to walk on our own two feet beside Him. We must have the faith though as well that He will give us that rest and help us bear our burdens and act on it. We cannot just expect to be given strength and rest if we are not doing our part as well, if we are just looking for a free ride through our trials without really learning and growing from them.
 Even if we cannot see His hand in our life right away doesn't mean He's not there; a prisoner in a concentration camp carved on a wall the following: 

We need to learn how to recognize Him in our lives, and sometimes in order for us to learn that, Heavenly Father will be there, but He won't "speak", He will put His hand in our lives, help us bear our burdens, and leave it up to us to realize that He has been there the whole time. I know that if we are feeling weak physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and we go to the Lord in humble prayer, with pure intent to use our strength for good, He will give us the strength we need to carry on. Maybe not right away or in the way we think, but He will give it if we ask. 

I have been through a lot recently and I have strong testimony now of the power of prayer and I know without a doubt Christ is always there, knocking, wanting to help us, wanting to give us the strength we need when we feel like we can't keep going, we just have to open the door and let Him in. I know He is my Saviour, my Redeemer, and as I follow Him on the straight and narrow path and open the door to Him, He will help me in my times of need and give me the strength to keep going and not fall into Satan's traps. I know that He loves me, that He loves us all and He wants us all to succeed, He's knocking, we just need to open the door and let Him in. These are my thoughts on strength and my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.