Definition and Context
Bracing, in a biblical context, refers to the act of strengthening, supporting, or invigorating oneself or others, both physically and spiritually. This concept is often associated with the encouragement and fortification that comes from faith, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit. The idea of bracing is integral to the Christian life, as believers are called to stand firm in their faith and support one another in times of trial and adversity.

Biblical References

1. Spiritual Strength and Encouragement
The Apostle Paul frequently speaks of the need for spiritual strength and encouragement. In Ephesians 6:10, he exhorts believers to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." This call to strength is a form of bracing, urging Christians to rely on God's power rather than their own.

2. Support from the Community of Believers
The early church exemplified the concept of bracing through mutual support and encouragement. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to "consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." This passage highlights the importance of community in providing the necessary support and encouragement to remain steadfast in faith.

3. The Role of Scripture
Scripture itself serves as a source of bracing for believers. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul writes, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." The Word of God provides the necessary guidance and strength to brace believers for the challenges they face.

4. The Holy Spirit as a Comforter
The Holy Spirit is described as a Comforter and Helper, providing the inner strength needed to face life's difficulties. In John 14:26, Jesus promises, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you." The Holy Spirit's presence is a source of continual bracing, offering divine support and guidance.

5. Endurance in Trials
James 1:2-4 speaks to the necessity of bracing oneself through trials: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Trials are seen as opportunities for growth and strengthening, requiring believers to brace themselves with faith and perseverance.

Practical Application

Believers are encouraged to actively seek ways to brace themselves and others in their spiritual journey. This can be achieved through regular prayer, study of the Scriptures, participation in a faith community, and reliance on the Holy Spirit. By doing so, Christians can remain steadfast in their faith, equipped to face the challenges of life with courage and resilience.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Brace.

2. (a.) Imparting strength or tone; strengthening; invigorating; as, a bracing north wind.

3. (n.) The act of strengthening, supporting, or propping, with a brace or braces; the state of being braced.

4. (n.) Any system of braces; braces, collectively; as, the bracing of a truss.

September the Eighth the Bracing Air of Publicity
... SEPTEMBER The Eighth THE BRACING AIR OF PUBLICITY. ROMANS x.1-13. ... It never
exercises itself in the strong, bracing air of publicity. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/september the eighth the bracing.htm

The Soldier's Morning-Call
... is that of a company of soldiers, roused by the morning bugle, casting off their
night-gear because the day is beginning to dawn, and bracing on the armour ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the soldiers morning-call.htm

The First Year --Society and Climate.
... leads to unpleasant grating. Then they have not had the bracing which
comes from residence in a Christian land. Though proud of ...
/.../chapter vi the first yearsociety.htm

On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family
... It is a machinery for the purpose of guarding the solitary and sensitive individual
from all experience of the bitter and bracing human compromises. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/xiv on certain modern writers.htm

The Panoply of God
... Souls which habitually walk in the clear spaces of the bracing air on the mountains
of God will less easily be tempted down to the shut-in valleys where ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the panoply of god.htm

A Fulfilled Aspiration
... And this elevating, humbling, and bracing ever-present sense of responsibility,
not merely to circumstances, but to God, is an indispensable part of any life ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/a fulfilled aspiration.htm

The Paralytic Let Down through the Roof.
... a trial to be inflicted beyond our strength, but even in that which is proportioned
to our strength He is present carrying us through it, and bracing us up, if ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily on the paralytic let.htm

The Two Paths
... There is something in human nature which responds to the bracing tonic of the
exhortation: 'By doing thus you will have to face many hardships and many ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the two paths.htm

Introductory Letter.
... As I began to breathe the bracing air of Cape Horn, my strength in a measure revived,
and having no other employment on board ship, I sketched the outlines of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/dibble/thoughts on missions/introductory letter.htm

Rondelet, {7} the Huguenot Naturalist {8}
... every copse of willow and aspen along the brook-sides; the gaudy and curious insects
which thrive beneath that clear, fierce, and yet bracing sunlight; all ...
/.../kingsley/historical lectures and essays/rondelet 7 the huguenot naturalist.htm

Bracing (1 Occurrence)
... & vb. n.) of Brace. 2. (a.) Imparting strength or tone; strengthening; invigorating;
as, a bracing north wind. ... Multi-Version Concordance Bracing (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/bracing.htm - 7k

Bracelets (10 Occurrences)

/b/bracelets.htm - 9k

Quick (49 Occurrences)
... 4. (superl.) Impatient; passionate; hasty; eager; eager; sharp; unceremonious;
as, a quick temper. 5. (superl.) Fresh; bracing; sharp; keen. ...
/q/quick.htm - 24k

Pale (16 Occurrences)
... one third of it. 11. (n.) A cheese scoop. 12. (n.) A shore for bracing
a timber before it is fastened. 13. (vt) To enclose with ...
/p/pale.htm - 12k

Brackets (1 Occurrence)

/b/brackets.htm - 6k

Chapel (1 Occurrence)
... 11. (vt) To cause (a ship taken aback in a light breeze) so to turn or make a circuit
as to recover, without bracing the yards, the same tack on which she had ...
/c/chapel.htm - 8k

Graecia
... 48, 2 degrees F., July 80, 6 degrees F. Greece lies open to the northern winds which,
during certain seasons, prevail and give a bracing quality to the air not ...
/g/graecia.htm - 21k

Justification (6 Occurrences)
... physical, psychical and spiritual nature of man considered as sinful, as working
only on this lower plane, and that the law needed bracing and illuminating by ...
/j/justification.htm - 43k

Potter (14 Occurrences)
... The potter leans against a slanting seat, bracing himself with one foot so that
he will not slide off, and with the sole of his other foot he kicks the upper ...
/p/potter.htm - 28k

Pottery (11 Occurrences)
... The potter leans against a slanting seat, bracing himself with one foot so that
he will not slide off, and with the sole of his other foot he kicks the upper ...
/p/pottery.htm - 27k

Bracing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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