WISDOM FROM THE PSALMS FOR 5/4/13

Psalm 18:34

He teached my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.

Angela was the youngest of six children. Her memories and childhood conjured images of constant fighting and competition. She had learned very early how to fight. Her young years had been a painful lesson in the survival of the fittest.

It was only after she left home that she found out that living didn't mean fighting. She met and married a strong Christian man whose strength came not from any physical source, but from a deep and abiding faith in the Lord. He taught her patience and compassion and peace. Her world was turned upside down as she realized that true strength came not from fighting, but from refusing to fight. God granted her a power greater than any she'd known. By her peace of mind and spirit, Angela broke free from the bondage of her past and faced the future with the assurance that nothing could ever defeat her again.

Prayer: Lord, remove from me my spirit of competition ion in trying to be better than other people. Whenever my will says to fight back in anger, let my spirit prevail with a desire to forgive. Make me strong in Your love. Amen.