Deuteronomy 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. 26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. 27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms".
This passage of scripture speaks volumes to the enduring power of God exercised in behalf of those who put their trust in Him, for as the verses state, our eternal refuge is in God, and His everlasting arms encircle those who are under His care. The reference made to our shoes being iron and brass, involves the ability given us by God to walk with a steady and even tread, throughout all the vicissitudes of life, without tiring or running out of steam. Many of us as Christians suffer from burnout unnecessarily and prematurely simply because we did not know of the far reaching effect of the promise given, and so we are often found going it alone, when abundant help and staying power is available upon request.
In order for us to better understand how the promise of endurance really works, we just need to observe the life of Moses, which was filled with anxiety and care for the turbulent multitudes that were under his supervision. Moses did not have it easy as some people think, for he had to deal with ever-evolving problems, complaints, murmuring, and outright rebellion. He was often heckled, accused, and almost stoned to death on several occasions, yet he found that the everlasting Refuge in God sufficed each and every time. The issue we have to deal with is not so much our problems, but rather how we go about handling them, for the correct method and approach will make all the difference.
Whenever Moses was bombarded with seemingly insurmountable problems and difficulties, the sacred record states that he fell upon his face in prayer, entreating God for His wisdom, guidance, and direction, so that he could continue to minister to the people in a godly manner, without flying into a rage and blowing a proverbial fuse. This he did on several occasions, and was thereby strengthened to keep moving on, in the face of very daunting challenges. Let's read:
Numbers 14:4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
Numbers 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, 3 "Gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? 4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.
As Christians we have our own share of problems and difficulties, yet none of us will be so severely tried as was Moses. But what made all the difference in his varied experiences is that he had learned the most important lesson of trusting and seeking God, instead of trying to deal with the challenges and threats he often faced, on his own. One of the snares of the devil in trying to overthrow our faith, is to bring severe trials our way, and then tempt us to solve them in our own strength. Any time we attempt to deal with temptations or trials on our own, we are sure to fall, for we will thus be excluding God from the equation, and because of this, His power can not be engaged in our behalf.
Prayer to God in times of adversity should then be our first response, and not our last resort, for if we make God first and foremost in our trials, He will also be first and foremost in our victories, and the Bible teaches us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which shows us the way by which victory in every situation may be achieved, and it is the will of God that we seek Him first in all of our various trials, and not succumb to the snare of self-dependence, which so often causes us to stumble. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!