Where does true strength come from? Is it based on a person’s capabilities, or does real stability come to him another way?
The resiliency of a man is not based on his own courage, for there are those known for their bravery who are not afraid to be daring. However, unless these have found the inner peace of complete equity, then their heart will still carry some torment. For example, many are sent out onto the battlefield and are asked to stand up and fight for honor, risking their own life in the place of another. Yet, when these return home, their heart is plagued with the dark memories of each skirmish, remembering the horrifying brutality of man coming against man, without having the ability to reconcile these experiences inside themselves, or to keep these unsettling thoughts from returning.
If man does not have the power to subdue his own thoughts, then where does true strength lie? If these have to turn to outside sources in order to find some relief, who is found holding the correct strength to silence his own inner voices?
Instead of turning to the One known as “Almighty”, many will rush headlong to the world, seeking some form of substance as an antidote to allow themselves the space to feel evenly balanced again. Then there are others who believe man’s own sensibilities provide the backbone to come up against any inner negativity; who recommend using cognitive exercises to increase mental acuity, thinking this practice is the way to strengthen the overall state of well-being in the affected individual. But when these efforts fail to reconstitute the hearts of those who feel broken, the hope of reinstituting a sense of “normal” within will then also fall away, leaving these to dwell in the ‘loneliness of disconnection’. For who has the capacity to understand their pain, or the faculties to offer them a bit of sound advice?
So now, these who were once held up as heroes and thought to have a commanding presence, are left to wrestle with anger and despair. For man can only go so far when relying on his own strength and power as the means to overcome the wounds he carries deep inside.
Then where does a man’s inner strength come from? If muscle and brawn are how he defeats a physical enemy, how does he subdue his internal affliction, the war which has been waging in his soul? Some would say that “positivity” is the answer: that mental exercise focusing on the more satisfying parts of life. But what if those have all left him, having seemingly vanished into thin air, so that when he looks around all he sees are shadows of what used to be? What then?
The natural inclination of man is to partner with his own understanding when it comes to solving his problems, thinking he himself holds the answers for bringing harmony back into his life. Consequently, he moves ahead with his own ideas, those thoughts which seem logical, for he has seen others achieve a positive outcome by using these methods, and it would, therefore, only be wise to follow in their footsteps and recreate this path to wholeness. Unfortunately, what isn’t known are the deep-seated wounds that still exist in those he has concluded are examples of wellness: those thought to have known the way to inner healing.
As a result, the only thing these have accomplished is creating the illusion of well-being, by developing techniques to help mask the pain that is still lurking inside. For what can a man do on his own that will permanently silence his inner demons? How can he eradicate those voices of distress that dwell just beneath the surface of his calm composure? For what he has been offered can only muffle the words he keeps hearing in his head.
So then, what man alive possesses the power to know peace within his heart? If all of his searchings’ can only bring limited results, then where is he to turn when he reaches the end of the list of degree toting professionals who, as experts in this specific field of psychological study, are expected to have all the answers? Unfortunately, these specialists can only take a man so far with their advice. Although their process of healing sounds promising, the methods and techniques they use may alter his behavior, but don’t hold any real power to override the pain inside, and are unable to purge a single soul of its true grief, or cleanse it of every transgression. It simply keeps those found in this state in bondage to a past they’re trying to escape.
Oh, the futility of man, thinking he has the strength within to heal himself, believing that somewhere deep inside lies the answer to his troubles. How fortunate it is for man that I AM here, and that I possess the power to overcome any and all of his struggles in each of those areas his own endeavors could not wash away. For the truth is that man, no matter the amount of effort he uses, cannot dispossess any of his own pain. Though he would like to think himself the master of his own being, what he fails to see is the true frailty of his constitution: that imperfection held in his soul, which, in the end, can only sow the seeds of despair. For even if his life appears to be well-rounded, with the inner reflections of some happier moments, his heart will still be unbalanced, bearing the weightier matters of pain: those heavier scars from yesterday that have not known resolution.
So then if man cannot heal himself, and rid his inner being of the trauma caused by experiences from the past, why does he keep looking to himself for the answers? It’s as if he is trying to discover just the right formula: that missing ingredient that will create a potent elixir containing just enough power to rid his thoughts of every distressing memory.
But even with a great amount of tenacity, none can find the right cure on his own. For determination is only useful if it is borne by a heart that is chasing after Me; by one who is in pursuit of their “Maker and King”. Since he refuses to believe it is My hand of rescue he really needs, and because his own sensibilities have told him otherwise, he insists he has enough control within himself to dominate his emotions. By diverting his thoughts off of those memories which are more distasteful, sadly, his behavior keeps him locked in the never-ending cycle of denial, thereby rendering his life to an impoverished status. For none can know the feelings of real peace unless their confidence has been placed in Me as the ballast point to their inner being. Only I can bring the needed stability to a man’s heart by offering him legitimate healing, because only I command this kind of authority. I alone am known as “El Shadi”, meaning I possess the might to deliver a man from his cares. Because My power flows through perfect love, I have the capacity to gently heal every wound, because it is cleansed through the sacrificial blood of My Son.
This precious gift was not only bestowed upon the world so that each person living could know life everlasting, but also to dwell in splendid contentment which comes to those who have released control of every wound into My gentle hand. For these recognize themselves to be insufficient, lacking the ability to arrest the ache inside aroused from those darker days of life: those unforgettable moments of woe carried deep within. Yet those who choose it can receive authentic healing and be relieved of their discomfort, for My offer to help is not just a ruse. For when I gave My word to bring aid to those who are hurting, I spoke from Truth, knowing I would be able to follow through as “The” answer. Not with empty words, or hollow exercises to follow, but to actually deliver on My promise to alleviate and repair the damaged, tattered places of every heart and mind. For in Me alone is where a man is strengthened, not with a power generated from himself, but that which washes over his inner being once he has surrendered completely to Me.
For a man’s physical muscle and valor are not the sure signs of fortitude, though his actions may speak to a certain level of courage. It is not his own efficiency that can conquer the struggle raging inside, and neither does he contain the right force to overturn his suffering. It is I alone, only I!, the one who wields supremacy over all things, and has the jurisdiction as the King of Kings! For to Me, everything shall bow; even heartache must relinquish its control on My command, and must surrender to My authority. For there is nothing that can resist My might.
So then the answer to the question posed, “Where does true strength come from?”, has only one right and correct response. For I will forever be the resolution to this quandary as the source of authentic power, making Me the perfect rescuer for all of mankind.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29
(Received: 3/30/2019)