Have you ever experienced pure unadulterated strength?  Ever stood next to a powerful beast and understood how truly weak you are?

I had that experience this week when a friend took me to a breeder to look at puppies.  Not just any kind of puppies, these are highly skilled, highly trained German Shepherd puppies.  On the breeder’s property, several dogs were practicing basic obedience and protection maneuvers.  For protection, a bad man stands behind a blind waiting for the dog to attack.  But before attacking, the dog must run through several other blinds searching for the villain.

Obviously with the keen sense of smell these magnificent German Shepherds possess, they know where the bad man is hiding, but run through the blinds with power and strength to show that they are under the control of their master.  When finally given the command to find the fiend, the dog tears across the field as quickly as its legs can take it – passing by you in a flash at what seems like 55 mph. Seeing the dog run like that was a glorious sight to behold…chests heaving, paws and legs a whirlwind of speed, its thought process totally focused on protecting their owners.

The dog’s performance reminded me of our reliance on God.  The dog is much faster, stronger and better able to protect against a bad man than most humans.  And probably the biggest mistake we make, as Christians, is believing falsely, that we are stronger than we really are; and as a result, we all too often fail.

But even in our weakness, we can have great strength.  That’s because our real strength is from the Lord and not of ourselves.  In Isaiah 41:10, we are told how to acquire this strength:  “I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Our strength begins with our union with God.

We must let go of everything in our being and in our life, and focus upon the Lord, and truly let Him be Lord of our lives.

This kind of absolute submission can come only when we totally and completely trust in the Lord. And the ability to trust in this way only comes with unconditional love – a love so complete that it encompasses the whole of creation, without exception.

In this complete submission of love and trust, we also will find we have a need to let go of any of our own strength or earthly security; for if we don’t, we cannot fully put our trust in God.

We must arise to the challenge that lies before us, and go forth in the strength of the Lord.