With All Your Strength

With All Your Strength

It is God who arms me with strength.

Psalm 18:32

IN WORD In the Bible, strength is very physical. It was the subject of psalms and songs whenever Israel defeated its enemies. It was the genius of Joshua, the blessing of Samson, and the provision of David. It secured Israel’s borders and overcame its obstacles. And it always came from God.

In the Bible, strength is also often internal. It was the fortitude of those who engaged enormous Philistines or corrupt kings. It was seen in Elijah’s zeal, Daniel’s boldness, and Jeremiah’s perseverance. It was a sure sign of confidence in God’s power and glory, and it was the intended result of the Bible’s frequent command not to be afraid. It was the courage that grows from knowing the Almighty. It, too, always came from God.

When God tells His people to love Him with all their strength, He means that we are to love Him physically and with courage. Every ounce of energy we have is to be directed in one way or another toward Him, His Kingdom, and His ways. Just as a halfhearted love toward a spouse or a child is hardly love in the first place, so is halfhearted love toward God a shadow of reality. To sort of love God, to love Him a little, is not to love Him very much at all. Devotion doesn’t come in portions. It is either there or it isn’t. And God urges us to make sure that it is there.

IN DEED Assess your love for God. If you’re honest, you’ll come to the conclusion that many saints of old were forced to admit: Our love is usually lukewarm. Martin Luther became so frustrated with the holiness of God vis-à-vis his own unholiness that he confessed, “Love God? Sometimes I hate Him.” Many Christians, though not nearly so blunt, have felt the same way. It takes an eye-opening experience with the grace of God to begin to love Him truly.

If your love for God is cold or distant, remedy the situation. No, of course you can’t manufacture love. But you can ask for the zeal of the Holy Spirit to kindle it in you. You can ask for the kind of love that consumes your whole being and is as deep as God desires—with all your strength.

When God is our strength, it is strength indeed; when our strength is our own, it is only weakness.

—AUGUSTINE