STRENGTH in ADVENT - 1 HOPE and Faith

ADVENT 2021 begins today on Sunday, November 28th and ends on December 24th, 2021.    

"As the holiday season approaches, we often hear the language spoken of “preparing the way.” Traditionally, Advent is a time of reflection and affirmation, with each week represented by a theme.

Advent has been seen as an exploration of faith, an inner search of the mind and heart." ..."Our Deepest Gifts"

"... The four Sundays preceding Christmas, which is when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, are recognized for four virtues. The candles on the Advent wreath symbolize: hope, love, joy and peace. The candles are lit in that order, beginning today." Natalie Joseph

I hope to share each Sunday of the 4 weeks (and perhaps more in between) some of the STRENGTH I've found in 2021. I've been wanting to somehow put together all that I have been seeking on my Word for 2021 on STRENGTH. This will be (in part) some of what God has shown me on STRENGTH and the many resources I have accumulated on STRENGTH in addition to my focus in God's Word on Strength & Renewal because of the verses in Isaiah (Isaiah 40:29-31) that began my journey daily with "The Vision" by Brian Simmons & Gretchen Rodriguez, through the book of Isaiah, reading The Passion Translation (TPT) & comparing to other versions. God gave me this specific verse for 2021 and later directed me toward the specific one Word: STRENGTH.

"... Those who entwine their hearts with Yahweh will experience Divine STRENGTH. They will rise upon soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up. Isaiah 40:29-31 TPT

It could have been any other word in that verse: renew or hope or rise up or many others in that verse, yet I landed on STRENGTH. It delighted me that two well known authors decided this fall to write books on STRENGTH, which confirmed (a little late) but summarize well much of the journey I personally walked through in Scripture & this is also why it was such a blessing to review these books by Joyce Meyer & Joel Osteen. Of course, it would have been better or easier for me this past year to have had and be reading these daily since 2021 began. Yet God knew this ahead & guided me with STRENGTH & being STRONG ... to show me "You are Stronger than You Think" that I am and indeed that I need His "Strength for Each Day" (and so do you). The reason I have decided to share on STRENGTH for the 4 weeks of Advent. There are many more STRENGTH verses than I could possibly share, so that is why I have limited them to this time. I'm not sure if it will work with the themes, but I will at least try & start with that each week.
So today, we light the Candle of HOPE (which as you can read in Isaiah 40:29-31) is closely related with Strength. 

I read the following after taking an inventory of 24 character "strengths" that make up what's best about our personality (not particularly biblical) but still useful & we all need to develop our character & strengths, right? And even turn any weakness into Strength! Of course, Character Strengths is not what I had in mind. for 2021. So ...
WHAT IS HOPE? "The character strength of hope has to do with positive expectations about the future. It involves optimistic thinking and focusing on good things to come. Hope is more than a feel-good emotion. It is an action-oriented strength involving agency, the motivation and confidence that goals can be reached, and also that many effective pathways can be devised in order to get to that desired future. Optimism is closely linked with having a particular explanatory style (how we explain the causes of bad events). People using an optimistic explanatory style interpret events as external, unstable and specific. Those using a pessimistic explanatory style interpret events as internal, stable and global."

What I actually had in mind throughout 2021 was STRENGTH in God's Word & perhaps how or why God would give me this One Word for 2021 and all that God desires for me to learn or reveal about STRENGTH for me - not just about physical Strength (like my aging & exercise), with emotional & mental strength too - but mostly my much needed Spiritual Strength for the times in which we live. There are many more verses on STRENGTH then I could share  ... according to one source I read: there are at least 232 occurrences, but that varies based on which version of the Bible you are using for the search.

This week, I have chosen these (because I'm sure I will not be sharing all 232):

10 BIBLE VERSES ABOUT HOPE & STRENGTH

1. Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired. Isaiah 40:31 GW *my main verse for 2021
2. I always keep the Lord in front of me. When He is by my side, I cannot be moved. That is why my heart is glad and my soul rejoices. My body rests securely because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay. Psalm 16:8-10 GW
3. I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GW
4. The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17 GW
5. May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13 AMPC
6. For this is the hope of our salvation. But hope means that we must trust and wait for what is still unseen. For why would we need to hope for something we already have? So because our hope is set on what is yet to be seen, we patiently keep on waiting for its fulfillment. And in a similar way, the Holy Spirit takes hold of us in our human frailty to empower us in our weakness. For example, at times we don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within us to super-intercede on our behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:24-26 TPT
7. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV
8. Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 AMPC
9. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 AMPC
10. We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 TPT

According to the Strong's Lexicon for STRENGTH in Isaiah 40:31 (my particular STRENGTH verse) this is what I found:

their strength;
כֹ֔חַ (ḵō·aḥ) Strong's Hebrew #3581 
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3581: 1) strength, power, might 1a) human strength 1b) strength (of angels) 1c) power (of God) 1d) strength (of animals) 1e) strength, produce, wealth (of soil) 2) a small reptile, probably a kind of lizard, which is unclean 2a) perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning is unknown

{I definitely have no idea how that last part on the reptile part applies but  I'm open to any thoughts}

Recently, I came across an excellent book for me (again like the ones published in October, seemingly a little too late for 2021 - but God is never late, His timing is perfect) ... by Robert J. Morgan (and his wife, Katrina) "The Strength You Need" (from 2016) which shares 12 verses on STRENGTH that he calls 'Strategies' for Extra Strength.

My 2021 Verse just happens to be Strategy 6: "Catch Updrafts like an Eagle". I have collected various eagle items (statues, pictures, etc.)& I've been observing eagles more this year & hoping to catch a better understanding of this updraft & learn from them how to soar with a bit more Strength of the Lord. Currently, I am waiting for a copy of this book to arrive so I can share or learn more about Robert J. Morgan's concept of these strategies and how I can tap into more of God's extra STRENGTH, with STRENGTH strategies from Scripture. Renewed Strength is one of the 12 kinds of STRENGTHS available to every believer according to Robert J. Morgan "for those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength" Isaiah 40:31 so I am filling myself with HOPE in the Lord! 

Hopefully I will be able to share more of Morgan's chosen 12 verses (strategies) and the rest of the kinds of STRENGTH found through scripture. Learning all I can with hope of acquiring all the STRENGTH God has for me in 2021 for the future. Clearly after the last few years (or decades), I need to restore & renew my STRENGTH & God knew this when He impressed this for my 2021 One Word.

This is a really good way for me to prepare my heart for Jesus this Christmas during Advent by leaning into and going from STRENGTH to STRENGTH. Looking forward to finding STRENGTH this Advent with Hope, Peace, Love & JOY hoping that you will join me and perhaps share how HOPE gives you STRENGTH (in the comments) or which of the scripture verses renew your HOPE giving you the STRENGTH this season.