Deuteronomy 33:25b
When Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before he died, he spoke the words of Deuteronomy 33:25b as blessing over the tribe of Asher. As children of God, we can receive any promise of the Bible, as long as any conditions set for that promise have been met. In Moses’ blessing spoken over Asher, it appears that there were no conditions given, so we can freely claim what he said. In fact, I can confidently say that God has fulfilled this promise in my life and in the life of this church in the past forty years. No two days, in all the 14,600 days that made up forty years, were identical. Each day came with its own challenges, demands, opportunities, and problems, but God supplied the strength that we needed to succeed everyday. This should bolster our faith and strengthen our hearts in the years ahead.
There are three things to note in Moses’ statement. First, what is promised in these words? Then, secondly, how can we be sure that the promise will be fulfilled? Thirdly, what difference should this promise make to our lives?
First of all, what is the promise? What is promised in the blessing is ‘Strength’, or, according to some scholars, ‘rest’, ‘for the days.’ In other words, whatever our days may bring to us, God has promised His children that He will supply the needed strength for those days. Whatever trouble each day may bring to us, God will give us the needed strength for that day. Therefore, we need to learn to draw daily strength for daily needs from God.
God has promised us a couple of things in this verse. One, God has promised us strength as different as our days are. That is, our strength will be proportionate to whatever our days have within them. God is saying that whatever kind of strength is required, that kind of strength will be given. For days of work, for days of rest, for days of peace, for days of war, for days of pain and sickness and days of health, for days of temptation and days of victory, for days of bereavement or even days when you face your own death, God will give the strength as different as the days are.
Second, God promises strength as long as your days shall last. Another paraphrase of the verse puts it like this: ‘May your strength match the length of your days’. We will have enough strength for every day, from birth-day to death-day and everything in between! As long as you have a need for strength, so long will God give His sufficient grace to meet your need.
Secondly, how can we be sure that the promise will be fulfilled? The guarantee we have that this promise will be fulfilled is that it was spoken by the Creator Himself; the God for who can do all things and for whom nothing is impossible. He is the one who says: ‘As your days, so shall your strength be’.
Thirdly and finally, what difference should this promise make to our lives? It should be a source of joy and great encouragement to every believer. God will give us the strength that our days require. God will give the strength we need, whatever we face. Is it temptation in your flesh? He will give you the strength so that you’re not tempted above what you are able to bear. Is it disease in your body? God will give you the strength needed to overcome whatever challenge ill health may pose to you.
Take for example the Apostle Paul. As Paul went through the pilgrimage of his Christian life, his weakness became clearer. He first referred to himself as the least of the apostles (1 Cor. 15); then, as the least of all the saints (Eph. 3:8); and then finally as the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). But as Paul’s weakness became clearer, so did God’s grace become more blessed to him. That’s why he said in Philippians 4:19: ‘My God shall supply all your need’. He also said in 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul knew that God would give grace for whatever days came along, and that the weaker he felt the greater God’s grace would be.
You should be happy to be a Christian today since you have this promise that as different as your days shall be, and, as long as your days shall be, and as varied as your needs shall be, God’s strength shall be.
How about those who are not saved? If you’re unconverted today your strength will not match your days. Do you hear me? This promise is not yours. When you go through days of trouble you will not know who to turn to. When you go through days of trial and eventually face the day of death, you will not have strength to go through – and one day every sinner will stand on the day of judgment, and they will not have strength. But the strength is there for the taking by faith, just as it is for the child of God, if you were to believe the gospel and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own: ‘As your days, so shall your strength be’. What a blessing!
- Rev. Kayode Ilupeju,
Good News Baptist Church,
47/49, Olufemi Road,
Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos.
Tel.: 0803-302-1008
