O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.” Jeremiah 16:19 NKJV.
Strength, ‘oz, Strong’s # 5797-a noun which comes from the verb ‘azaz, “to be firm and strong.” In our text Jeremiah waxes poetic in Hebrew: ‘ Uzi u-Ma’uzi (my strength and my fortress).
Oz is used in 100 places in the OT, very often in well-loved verses like, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Isaiah soars in a verse that encapsulates the wonder of His gift to us, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation’” (Isaiah 12:2).
King David danced joyfully before the Lord with all his strength (2 Samuel 6:14). Psalm 105:4 gives sage advice in, “Seek the Lord and His strength.”
In our role as disciples in which we fellowship with our Lord in the “Word” and in praise and worship, we come away with His inner strength and lights are turned on within that shine forth with His love that builds a strong tower within. When we allow Him to deal with our inherited lies, and unprofitable things solid mortar builds straight and true walls in our tower of strength.
In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul (Psalm 138:3).
