2013: A New Year marked by Strength

2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP)

⁹ But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

As I was reading my Scripture today, I asked the Lord to impress upon my heart a verse, a word, or principle that would mark the New Year 2013. 
I also noted that as I thought about 2012 and some traumatic incidents, that 2012 seemed marked by emotional fragility as events proved too much for me to firmly control my emotions. I seemed to be leaking everywhere. 
Towards the end of the year I finished a study based on Peter Scazzero's book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, which brought insight and healing and guidance.

As it turns out, this 'weeping for the night' was not about fragility, but about honesty. 
Not about weakness, but about strength.
Charles Spurgeon puts it well:

“Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.” – Charles Spurgeon

Daniel 10:19

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁹ And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you! Be strong, yes, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.

Psalm 28:7

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁷ The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.

Psalm 59:17

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁷ Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.

Psalm 73:26

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.

Isaiah 40:31

Amplified Bible (AMP)

³¹ But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

And that is the 'word' that drew me during my reading. I will explore more on this as the year progresses. I just googled 'strength' and surprisingly it was Wiki.answers that gave me the best answer:

Strength is defined in Wiki.Answers.com as, "...a mixture of perseverance and faith. Strength is the quality of being able to purge through tough, heinous or heartbreaking times, situations, feelings and emotions where others would think it normal or expect you to give up. True strength is relying on the Lord, His guidance and leadership, while you are undergoing the pain and suffering. 

True strength is saying "I will not give up".

So, as the New Year is ushered in, I invite you to sing along with Chris Tomlin, Everlasting God (Strength Will Rise):

Happy New Year 2013 to all who drop by.

May you too know Him to be your strength as you wait on Him, as you delight in Him, as you rest in Him.