Strength.

Being strong means to understand you are not. So much of today's culture has pushed us to believe we can be our own "gods", or that strength comes from one's innermost self. All this sounds great and all, until, as the passage above says, "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the elect shall be without strength", we realize we are not. Some of us may never come to realize this truth, due to pride, until it's too late. This is why pride is one of the deadliest sins, because it leads people astray to believe they can do anything, when in fact, they can't even save themselves, because they can't see their own sins (or even if they do see their own sins, is unwilling to admit them due to pride). When a person is proud, they refuse to accept God to govern over their lives, because they had already become their own "gods", which is dangerous, and a lie Satan has used since the beginning of humanity, that is with Adam and Eve. "...and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.' (Genesis 3:5) Thus, to really be strong, it is not to "believe in yourself", or worse, believe in the devil, for as sad as it is to say it, both the devil and Adam as well as Eve disobeyed God, the ultimate good, which is in fact sinful and unrighteous. But rather, knowing our own authority is not trustworthy due to sin, we put our trust in the Lord God, Who is perfect and good and everlasting, and through believing in God we might be given strength from God, not from the sinfulness of our flesh or that of the devils' or the world, but from God alone. Thus, let us not fall into the trap and the lie Satan uses that being strong is found in ourselves, because in the end we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), who are weak compared to the glory of God. But rather, submit to God, knowing God to be without sin and having the final power, and in doing so we may gain true strength, being heirs to the Kingdom of God. And knowing our strength is not of ourselves, we further submit to God, and give glory and honor and worship to Him, so as to point others to Him, doing things not by our own strength, which comes and goes, with time and age, but God's strength; which is unending and lasts forever and ever. Therefore, be led by the Holy Spirit, and have strength, not of yourself, but in God, for He is the One Who will, soon, be given the power to judge the world (Rev 20:12). 

Greatness.

I've wanted to talk about this for some time now, (that is Matthew 20:26-28) because this has gone underlooked in not just kingdoms and nations, but our own homes, and it is this; to be the greatest is to be the least. To be the leader is to be the servant, and the master, the slave. This is a parable that Jesus told us, which He Himself set an example of by dying on the cross for our sins, which the world can not comprehend. However, it is also found in the smaller actions, like when Jesus humbled Himself to touch a leper (Mark 1:41), who in the world's eyes at that time were spoken of as unclean and even "not human". What both these actions have in common is this; that though of different degrees and impact, one for the world and the other for an individual, both these were used to serve others, demonstrating no action is too small for the Lord God, and that Jesus Christ, who is the greatest who've walked the earth, is the One to suffer and treated as "the least" of all by the world. For Jesus Christ, who is indeed the greatest who's ever lived, being without sin, came to earth as a lowly commoner, a carpenter in fact, sets an example for us all, and what true leaders are meant to be, and that is to be the least. True greatness, in fact, is not to be served, but found in serving others, our neighbors. So how can we apply this in our own lives? We can start by doing the simple tasks, in that instead of being the one to be listened to and obeyed and served, we are to give our time, energy, and strength to go help wash the dishes. Okay, it didn't have to be dishes, but the point is, no matter how small the action is or how unimportant it seems, we can still use it to submit to one another, so that through being the least we are to be great in the Kingdom to come. Thus, let it not be a ache for you all to serve, doing it with force and becoming a pain in the heart, but rather taking it as an opportunity to glorify God through, for the work we do as the lowly will be exalted in the Kingdom of God. Now that is just one of many examples, because truly this can be applied in all areas of our life. A friend of yours struggling with homework? Take some time out of your day to help! Or better yet, ask your friends if they have anything that needs to be done, and help that way. Look for chances to serve, for it is more blessed, as Jesus teaches in this parable, to serve than to be served. So like Jesus Christ, the greatest in all of Heaven, yet the least on earth, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, we must also selflessly sacrifice to help those in need, for true greatness is not found in being the greatest at all, but being the least of all. And in being the least on earth, we may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and gain the things not of this world, but of God's. 

Let us, then, worship the Lord God, all day and all night, singing Him praise and songs of worship. Let us love the Lord with all our hearts, and with all our minds, and with all our souls, and love one another as Christ loves us. Truly, then, let us realize becoming strong means to rely on God, and to be great takes the "least" of earth. Peace be to you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and truly let us all set our whole being to the Kingdom of God, that goes on forever and ever, rather than the temporary things of this world. Persist in the Lord our God, and do not be discouraged! Rather, take courage, knowing our God is alive, and with Him even the anguish turns to repentance, and therefore; hope. O Let us rejoice in You, God of all!

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit, even till the end of the age, and even through the age to come! Amen.