Disciples love God
with all their Strength

Your Biblical Identity in Christ

Matthew 22:37 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Philippians 4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

1 Kings 19:8

Strengthened by that food, [Elijah] traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

• In Christ, who gives me strength, I can love God with all of my strength.

Pondering Point

Philippians 4:13 is an oft-quoted part of the bible found on T-shirts, bumper stickers, and plaques: I can do all this through him who gives me strength. If you are going to love God with all of your strength, it is good to know that He will supply what you need to get it done.

In 1 Kings 19, we see God use an angel and two meals to strengthen Elijah for a 40-day journey. After that, Elijah is shown God’s strength in a unique way. The Lord brought wind, earthquake and fire, But God was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire. After all of that, Elijah experienced God in what is described as a gentle whisper – a silent strength.

Prayer

Father God, as You strengthened Elijah, also strengthen me. As you used Elijah – a man like us (James 5:17)– so also use me. May I do all things through You while You give me strength. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Are you ready to invest in your walk with Jesus by taking in another video from the Bible Project, their Shema series piece on “me-od” (strength)?

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/meod-strength/.

Jesus takes the one word translated “strength” and uses two words to capture the essence of meaning – mind and strength (or power) – or as the Bible Projects suggests – “much-ness.”