Strength: A vital key to walking in the Anointing

But my horn [my emblem of strength and power] You have exalted like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil [for Your service] Psalm 92:10 AMP

But you have made me as strong as a wild ox. You have anointed me with the finest oil. Psalm 92:10 NLT

I have been pondering about “the anointing” for a while now and trying to understand how it is possible for someone to be anointed yet have no tangible manifestations of God’s power in their lives. My assumption was that once the anointing is on an individual there would be the outworking of signs, wonders, and the power of God, but that is not always the case. Then I began to learn that there are certain requirements that must be met for the anointing placed on an individual to find expression, there is a certain atmosphere that allows the flow of God’s power. One of such requirements is strength, the anointing never flows in an atmosphere of weakness.

In the scriptures, we see that the men through whom God demonstrated His power were men of strength, courage, and boldness. When I talk about strength, I’m referring to inner strength, both spiritual and mental.

Joshua: – Have you ever wondered why God told Joshua to be strong three times in just one chapter? I believe God was saying to Joshua, i have no concerns showing forth my power through you, but there is a posture you must assume in order for that to happen, It’s a posture of strength. God was willing to conquer their enemies, but in order for His power to be manifest he needed them to be strong. It takes strength and courage to go up against giants. There has to be a level of understanding that has fortified your mind and infused strength into you in order to rise up and fight against giants you know in the natural will defeat you. Joshua was a man of strength and he did not hinder God’s power in His life.

David: – How do you go up against a giant without a sword or any military training? For 40 days Goliath tormented and mocked the Israelites because there was no man strong enough to permit the power of God to flow. Then comes David, a teenager, physically not the strongest in Israel, but David shows up armed with an understanding that strengthens. Who is this uncircumcised philistine he asked? David was saying, I am a man of covenant backed by a living God, this understanding was the source of his strength, and when David rose up in strength against Goliath we saw the power of God at work, the anointing could flow, victory manifested because someone rose up in strength. Yes, David was anointed, but if like his fellow Israelites he shrank in fear, there would have been no avenue for God’s power to flow.

In our text for today, the Psalmist tells us that God strengthens before He anoints. God exalts your horn, a sign of strength and power, then He anoints. Because the anointing is incapacitated in an atmosphere of weakness, God always ensures you have been equipped with the pre-requisite level of strength needed for the anointing He’s about to place on your life. In Psalm 23, God builds you up, strengthens and enlarges your capacity as He takes you through the valley of the shadow of death, it’s after all that journey you get to the end where He anoints your head with oil. If you are anointed, you must know that you have been graced with the strength needed to allow for the flow of that anointing.

Finally, let’s look at the life of Gideon: – When God wanted to set Israel free from the oppression of the Midianites in the book of Judges, He needed a man who would rise up in strength, and allow His power work through him to deliver the Israelites. So God comes to Gideon and calls Him – A mighty man of valor. It took a while before Gideon accepted that he was not the weakest in the clan but a mighty man in valor. It took a while for Gideon to rise from a place of weakness to a place of strength, it took a while for Gideon to stop seeing himself as the least to seeing himself as who God has called him to be. Once he made the switch and rose in strength God’s power could finally work through him. Gideon the one who was noce weak defeated a nation with only 300 men. That is what the anointing can do when we allow it to work through us.

Today there are many like Gideon, who are still seeing themselves as weak and as the least. Many, still crying under certain oppression and unpleasant situations. I have come to remind you that God has exalted your horn, He said to tell you He has given you strength to rise and overcome that situation. He said to remind you that He has given you power over the power of the enemy.

God is beckoning you to change your perspective about how you see yourself. The wrong perspective is keeping you weak and hindering God’s power in your life. I came to remind you, you are the head and not the tail, your horn has been exalted (it’s not going to be exalted, it’s not about to be exalted, it already has). Strength has been given to you, rise up in it, walk in that strength, and watch the power of God manifest powerfully in your life!

Love Always
Obebi