“From the bookshelf” is going to be a series of posts that gives summaries of chapters in inspirational, doctrinal, and devotional books that can be found in our local church library or in the personal libraries of the local saints. These little extractions are to encourage the saints and to showcase the thoughts of those that have fought the fight of faith before us.

“The Secret of Being Strong” is a short book written by C.W. Naylor. His desire was for readers to find “something to stimulate, to uplift, and to encourage”.

The C.W. Naylor begins the opening chapter with talking about the strength of Samson. He talked about how people in Samson's time marveled at his strength and wanted to know his secret. Nowadays people marvel about strength of will. He asserts that people do not realize their own strength. He wrote, "Your will may seem to be weak, but it is not weak. If it does not accomplish the desired results it is because you do not use its strength—not because it has no strength. The human will cannot be coerced." These are strong statements but they ring true. Humans have the power of their own will and if someone is weak it is because they do not exercise the strength of their will.

In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15

We need to remember that our strength of will is most evident when our soul is quiet or at peace. When we get worked up about different things we lose the power over our will which is our strength (or superpower). We need to have peace in our soul and have confidence in God. Here is the last paragraph of the chapter:

To be sure, we may be weak within ourselves, but God is our strength. A newspaper may be a weak thing. But we can wrap a stick of dynamite in it and it will be full of power. So, we by nature may be very weak, but with God within is we are like the paper with filled with dynamite — we have great capacity for accomplishing. Let us get busy and so what we are capable of doing. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."