Annie
Scriptures Ephesians 3:20-21 Genesis 1:2 Ephesians 6:10-18 Psalm 61 John 14:12-14
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Reading that scripture has made me wonder whether I really concentrate on all of the words in the scriptures as I read. And that, somehow, reading them aloud can often open new horizons or re-emphasise certain words and their importance to us in our daily lives. Today, what jumped out at me from these words of Paul are “His power that is at work within us”.
It is the Power of God in us who will do so much more than we can ever imagine, His Power within us will carry through whatever is needed. Whether we are on the mountain tops or in the deepest valley, Holy Spirit, God’s Power within us, will overflow in ways that will astound and humble us beyond measure. Just for a moment let your mind’s eye see this same Holy Spirit, Ruach Elohim, hovering over the formless waste and dark waters, brooding over the void until the Word who became flesh spoke “Let there be light”, and by that Power who dwells within us, there was light. That same Power. It fills me with overwhelming awe. If this was anyone else but God, it would be unbelievable.
Further on in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes what he calls the Armour of God, and shows us how, when we are clad in this Armour, nothing at all should cause us to fear for this Armour is the Risen Christ Himself. From the Helmet of Salvation, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Girdle of Truth, the Shoes of the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit, we are enfolded, indwelt and upheld by the whole Being of God. There is never one moment of our lives when we are not clothed this way, therefore there is not one moment when we are not fully protected and sustained by the Power of God. And what does Paul tell us to do when we are dressed thus? He tells us to STAND, with utter assurance to stand, knowing that the battle is the Lord’s and He is already the Victor. To stand and, then, to pray, to pray for all the saints, standing and praying, giving all of the glory to God from whom the victory flows in rivers of living water.
Jesus knew what it was to be fully human, while He was always fully God, He was tempted as we all are, yet He never gave in to that temptation. He knew that He could place His whole trust in His Father, in the immense Power of God who knew what each day would bring, what challenges and hurdles He would face. If we grasp this fact, we too can absolutely place our trust in our Father God who holds each of our days, who catches our tears and knows the outcome of every challenge we face. In the words of the psalmist we, too, can say “lead me to the Rock that is higher than I”, assured that, as we stand upon that Rock, we will know from the depths of our being that it is only the Power of God within us who enables us to be there, safe and secure in Him.
For every one who has been sought out by God and has relinquished the transient pleasures of earthly life and, by Grace, accepted the Life God offers to all, courage can only mean one thing. We are saved by the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour who said that we would do “greater things” because He went to be with the Father, leaving Holy Spirit who would dwell within us, never leaving us. Courage means knowing this, knowing that of ourselves we can do nothing, it is only by the Power of God within us, as we stand clad in God’s Armour, that we will be able to face whatever may happen to us. Standing in the victory so dearly bought for us by the Blood of Christ.
Prayer: O Lord God, as we navigate the twists and turns of our earthly life, may we always and ever remember and give thanks for Your Power that sustains, enables and saves us in ways that are so far beyond our ability and comprehension. All praise, honour and glory go to You, our awesome God. Amen
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