A Biblical Woman is Strong and Persistent

by Katie Joffe

“She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” -Proverbs 31:17

Have you ever seen the world’s strongest man competition where a herculean man pulls a vehicle with nothing but his own strength? They have muscles in places no one knew existed! There are various types of strength: physical strength, mental prowess, power or influence, emotional stamina, etc. In our quest for Biblical womanhood, we hone our spyglass in on God’s word for clues as to what He has to say about strength.

God doesn’t expect us to leap tall buildings or bench press 400 pounds. For our own good, He wants us to find our strength in Him. Isaiah 30:15 says, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord speaks to Israel, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In Psalm 46:1, we find that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

You probably know by now that does not mean God always rescues us from hardship and keeps us in a nice comfy bubble with an electricheated leopard print snuggie. Physical muscles are strengthened by using them and actually have small tears in them from exertion and resistance in order to grow (hyperplasia). Remember your calves or biceps being sore the next day after a bout of heavy lifting or squats? Just as physical muscles require resistance and a challenge to grow, God allows us to be tested and to go through hardship to develop our muscles of faith. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.... Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:2-4,12)

An athlete’s physical muscles are strengthened with regular training/ workout regimens. Our faith (aka spiritual muscles) is strengthened when we diligently love the Lord and seek to honor him day after day. We do not work for our salvation because that is a free gift (Romans 6:23, Romans 3:22-24, Ephesians 2:8-9), but we work unto the Lord by studying His Word to find out what pleases Him. We work with the Lord’s strength to obey His commands. Persistence is doing this even when they are hard, or they do not seem to be making a difference. We are to persist in doing good because our faith and strong God calls us to action.

Journaling Page for Strength

What do you need to change in order to build your spiritual muscles?

How could a stronger faith habit help you in difficult situations?

Other thoughts and scriptures about strength: