Doing Things In My Own Strength

Psalm 119:139 "My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words."

What kind of zeal is the Psalmist talking about here? One of two possibilities that I can readily see. Either he is referring to an evangelistic-type zeal, trying to win over even his enemies, or, he is sharing the frustration of serving the Lord in general, trying to be a good witness in all he does and seeing the impenetrable hearts of his enmies, that wears him out even more. Whichever it is, let me reflect on the general topic of "doing things in our own strength".

When we serve the Lord we should only use the strength that He gives us. When we get depleted or worn out or burnt out as the case may be, it is almost always because we have overextended ourselves. Granted, sometimes when serving the Lord we give it our all and can be temporarily exhausted. But, for the most part, my tendency is to too often do more than He really intends for me to do, thereby wearing myself out. Not His perfect plan I'm sure. I can identify those times easily because though I start off totally in touch with His will and timing, somewhere in the midst of serving I take over and jump in the driver's seat and that is when I get unnecessarily exhausted.

Have you ever heard the gentle warning of the Lord to slow down? (How about the loud danger signals? :) Or, the circumstances that force you to step back or at least realize that you are no longer letting Him lead you in your endeavor, even if the assignment originally came from Him? I know this scenario all too well. Well-meaning as my intentions are and as initiated by the Spirit as they begin, somehow in the middle of His assignmment I take control. When I do, my strength evaporates sooner and my resources to do what He originally wanted me to do are quickly overwhelmed.

I can't blame anyone else when I repeatedly get so worn out (even my enemies, as unscrupled as they are). If you read the entire section this verse is nestled in, it really seems out of place. Every other verse is a recognition of the profound trust we should put in the Word of God and in letting Him have control. In all honesty the writer shares that he falls into the trap of doing things in his own strength when he should be letting God strengthen Him for the task. Not uncommon, but painfully true. I know I need to slow down and step back more often and make sure that I am still following His original motivation for me to serve.

Being zealous is a good thing, we just need to keep reminding ourselves that He who inspired us will empower us also. When we begin to run out of gas, it is time for refueling, before we start running on fumes. There is a panic that sets in and a lack of caution that accompanies that fear that can happen with an equally dangerous attitude that can deveolp when we cross over into going on our own strength. I can always tell from the tension and pressure and fatigue I feel. These signals should warn me to step back and slow down and refuel. This is one of those devotionals that I need to hear right now. Hope it blessed you too.

In His Strength, Pastor Fred

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