Fulltime Mama My name is Elizabeth, and I am the happy wife of ten years to Fabio and fulltime mama to four beautiful children: Joshua-9, Dominique 7, Israel- almost 5, Johann-3 and expecting a new baby in April 2012! We are currently living in Brazil as missionaries and life never ceases to be an adventure!!! I love motherhood with a passion and am passionate about providing a place here at MamaKnowsBest where mothers can learn, grow, and share ... pooling the wisdom of many into one big jackpot for mothers. View all articles | Contact author

Right now I am in my ninth month of pregnancy with our fourth child, and with having the other three young enough to still be rather dependent on me for most things, I can approach the end of the day feeling rather exhausted and spent. In that case, I can even start the day feeling that way!

The other day, I was really encouraged by finding this gem of a verse, and so I thought I would pass it along:

“As your days, so shall your strength be.”  Dt 33:25b

Isn't that just SO true!  I think back to when I was pregnant with our first child, and I found it challenging back then just to keep up with our small house and laundry for myself and my husband!  I don’t think I was generally lazy, but I see it rather as the Lord giving strength for what is necessary, when it is necessary.  If we had made a decision back then regarding how many children we would have, based on the strength that we had available to us at the time, we surely would not have opted for more than one or two children! But, as our days are, so the Lord gives us strength! Praise Him!

Here is another thought: isn’t it also true that so often our “physical” strength is really a spiritual or emotional state of mind?  That is, when we feel down emotionally or spiritually, we end up also feeling exhausted physically, lacking desire or motivation to do much of anything? I know that is the truth for me, anyway! 

On the other hand, when we are strengthened in the inner man, we find ourselves physically capable of doing more than we thought possible!  Finding the above verse led me to look up the word “strength” in a concordance the other night, and it was SO encouraging to read through what the Lord says in His Word!  How often even His name is called “Strength”!  I honestly felt strengthened in my spirit just in reading, so I thought I would share the following passages:

“The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Ps 29:11

Ps 84:3-7

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young— even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God.  Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You.  Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Neh 8:10

“ In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”  Isa 30:15

2 Chron 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

Jer 17: 5-8 “This is what the LORD says:
       Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
       who depends on flesh for his strength (including our own flesh!)
       and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
       he will not see prosperity when it comes.
       He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
       in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
       whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
       that sends out its roots by the stream.
       It does not fear when heat comes;
       its leaves are always green.
       It has no worries in a year of drought
       and never fails to bear fruit."

Originally published on my blog last summer.....