Getting to Know God: Jehovah Tsur

If your life had a theme song, what do you think it would be?  I've heard many songs through the years that reminded me of myself.  Karen Peck and New River's song, "Hold Me While I Cry" is one.  It begins with the words, "It's been one of those days; if anything could go wrong, it went wrong."  The Anchormen's song "Resting Place" holds a high position in my choices of theme songs for my life.  And I'm fairly certain that at certain times in my life I've distinctly heard the Mission Impossible theme song playing in the background.  But if I had to pick a theme song for my life at this very moment, it would have to be Matthew West's emotional ballad, Strong Enough.  If you're not familiar with this song, here's a snippet that seems to sum up my life and emotional state of being:

I know I’m not strong enough to be
Everything that I’m supposed to be
I give up, I’m not strong enough
Hands of mercy, won’t You cover me?
Lord, right now I’m asking You to be
Strong enough, strong enough
For the both of us

Well maybe, maybe that’s the point
To reach the point of giving up
‘Cause when I’m finally, finally at rock bottom
Well that’s when I start looking up
And reaching out

How many days do I sit and cry, "Lord, I'm just not strong enough"?  How many times do I mourn my lack of strength?  Yes, when I first heard this song, I sat there nodding my head.  "That's me," I cried, "that's me!"  I could relate so well to the song that it literally moved me to tears (which is not very difficult since I am such an emotional basket case). Nevertheless, at this point in my life, that song would take first place as Dana's Life Theme Song.

I'm sure you're scratching your head and wondering what in the world a life theme song has to do with the names of the Lord.  Well, I'm glad you asked because I was just about to tell you.  My current theme song deals with today's name which is Jehovah Tsur, the Lord my Strength.  Interestingly enough, the word "tsur" has multiple meanings, but all are related.  It carries with it the underlying thought of a rock, strength, stability, immovability and habitation.  This particular word is used over seventy times throughout the Bible (many in the Psalms) to discuss the shelter and safety that can only be found in the Lord.  Here are just a few instances:

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. - Psalm 18:1

 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. - Psalm 19:14

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. = Psalm 73:26

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. - Psalm 140:7

O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. - Jeremiah 16:19

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. - Habakkuk 3:19

The fact is that we're not strong enough to fight the battles that rage around us on a daily basis.  We are under attack from Satan and his minions, as well as from the world.  We don't have the strength to fight the same fights day after day and fulfill the Lord's work at the same time.  But as the song says, maybe that's the point.  Maybe we're not supposed to be strong enough.  Didn't the Lord tell Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness"?  It is when we are weak that the Lord can show His great strength.  It is when we get to the place where we plead, as the song states, "Lord, please be strong enough for the both of us" that the Lord can use us in mighty ways.  And as much as we don't like, that's exactly the place the Lord wants us to be.  He is strong enough.  He wants us to rely on His strength and not our own.  He knows how frail we are.  He knows how easily we're led astray.  He knows how much we need His strength.  Now, if we could just realize how much we need His strength and stop relying on our own!

You know what?  Now that I think about it, I want to change my theme song.  Yes, Matthew West's song still applies, but all this talk about the Lord my strength has brought a different tune to my mind.  I'm now humming the joyful melody written by Roger Bennett that says, "I'm strong in the strength of Someone else, trusting the hand that never has failed; Living a life of spiritual wealth, strong in the strength of Someone else, strong in the strength of Someone else."  Yup, that's the theme song I think I'll stick with for a while.  I like it.  It's catchy, but more than that, it reminds me that I'm not fighting my battles alone.  The Lord is my strength!  And that's worth singing about.