February 2020 Theme – Increasing Strength

Increasing can be defined as growing; rising; becoming greater in size, amount, or degree. It can also mean developing, booming, maturing, advancing, broadening, flourishing, waxing, enlarging, augmenting, building, accentuating, adding; etc.

Strength can be defined as the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power; mental power, force, or vigour; moral power; firmness or courage. It can be power by reason of influence, authority, resources, numbers, etc. It can also mean the capacity for exertion or endurance; power to resist force; the power of resisting attack. The ability to do things that need a lot of physical or mental effort or the degree to which something is strong or powerful.

While there might be something we can call optimal strength; strength level, however, does fluctuate, such that strength can decrease or increase. Put in other words, strength can be decreasing or increasing. There are several factors that can be responsible for the decreasing or increasing of strength; some of such factors are grace or sin, knowledge or ignorance; training or lack of same; determination or lack of same; willingness or nonchalant; encouragement or discouragement; etc. An increasing strength that is been used will automatically result in increasing output; reward; productivity and dominion.

The Bible records that David first became king over Judah for about 7 years at the age of 30; while Ishbosheth – the son of Saul was still the king over the rest 11 tribes of Israel. But over those 7 years period, through the grace of God upon David’s life; coupled with strong determination, willingness and encouragement from his followers, David’s strength kept increasing, while Ishbosheth’s strength kept decreasing. (2 Sam. 3:1). It got to a critical point where the strength of Ishbosheth failed and David gained total dominion over all the 12 tribes of Israel (2 Sam. 4:1-12; 5: 1-5).

The Bible, however, makes us know that such grace of strength is made available to those who ‘wait’ on the Lord. Waiting on the Lord in this wise can mean holding unto the expectations from God through faith, trust and patience; without murmuring and wavering. For such people, God promised that they will continue to wax stronger; be elevated higher; will never be tired; neither will they faint (Isaiah 40:28-31).

The promise of God for us in Everlasting Father’s Assembly in this month and beyond is that He will grant us increasing strength. May the enabling grace for this; and all associated factors for that to happen work together for our good in Jesus name.