Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. (AMP)

Most of us are familiar with Strong's concordance, but did you know that Dr. James Strong spent 35 years preparing this remarkable dictionary of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Testament before it was published in 1890? Or that every word was researched manually? The Christian Herald (September 1947) called it "a book to defy description".

In 1950, at the age of 69, Mrs. Frances E. Siewert didn't have much training in Hebrew and Greek, but she got the idea of producing a Bible that "amplified" the true, original meaning of the Word. With some financial help from the Lockman Foundation and Zondervan publishers, the Amplified New Testament was published in 1958 and the Amplified Old Testament in 1964.

Let's ask ourselves what our dream or vision is. What plan has God placed before us? Is it too hard? Are we disappointed because we expected it to come to fruition in just a few weeks? Are we upset because we are still pushing toward the goal and it seems farther away than ever? Do we have family and friends telling us just to give up?

Will we be making the same old tired excuses this time next year? Or will we be moving steadily in the right direction, no matter how long it takes?

Do we have the Strong/Siewert perseverance? Of course we do. If we asked Jesus into our life, His Holy Spirit lives in us. He's ready and waiting to help us get started.

Prayer: Father, we have lost our way. Please renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within us. Help us not to lose heart as we walk toward Your goal for us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Brenda Wood <brenda.w@nextcom.ca>
Sandycove Acres, Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
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