God Is... Power
Monday, April 11, 2011 at 7:01AM MAD21 By Dusty (Reflections on the Life of a Christian)
I am held in awesome wonder at the power and majesty of God. As scriptures teach, so I believe:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)
"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:9)
This world we live in is a living breathing example of God's power. Borrowing a line from an old Christian song performed by Sandi Patty and entitled "Because of Who You Are":
"You spoke the words and all the worlds came in to order, you waved your hands and planets filled the empty sky, you placed the woman and the man inside the garden, and though they fell they found compassion in your eyes. Oh Lord I stand amazed at the wonder of your deeds and yet a greater wonder brings me to my knees. Lord I praise you because of who you are, not just for all the mighty things that you have done."
His power revealed through creation is beyond our comprehension. It is the stuff of fantasy. God spoke and things came into being. God spoke and they were rearranged. He spoke and light dawned. He exhaled and life began.
As awesome a demonstration of power as that is, I believe His power is revealed to a greater extent through His interactions with our lives. Scriptures share numerous accounts of such encounters.
God visits Elijah: "Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:11-12)
God is comfortable in His power. He is power. He does not require grand displays of the impossible, improbable, or miraculous to prove Himself. Even in a gentle whisper, His power and person is evident.
Isaiah's Call: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5)
Just a vision of God conveys the awesome nature of His power. When we encounter His power, there is no doubt about His authority. Even before God speaks, we are able to recognize who He is and in that instant we know who we are in relationship to Him.
Saul's Conversion: "He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus." (Acts 9:4-8)
An encounter with God's power changes things. In each of the stories mentioned above, God issues a command. In every one of them, there is no argument or hesitation, only obedience. The lives of Elijah, Isaiah, and Paul (the man formerly known as Saul) were changed by God's power. They recognized Him as Lord of their lives. They were given purpose and direction. They were moved to action by His power.
The question today is not really whether or not God is powerful. The evidence of His power surrounds us. It's in the beating of the butterfly's wings, the roar of the waterfall cascading over the rocks, the crash of the waves upon the shore, the immovable mountains, and the stillness of the forest.
But the greatest demonstration of His power and authority is found through His Son, Jesus. Born in a lowly manger to bring hope and salvation to the world. Being fully God and fully man, Jesus subjected himself to the trials and tribulations of this life. Not because He could not in His power overcome it, but because He loved us enough to walk with us and die for us that we may know life everlasting.
God's power is at work among us. Have you encountered it? Have you recognized His authority? Have you been changed by His power?
Dusty Rayburn is a lay minister and fellow blogger. He lives in Locust Fork, Alabama, has been married six years and has one amazing daughter. In his words: "I am a Christian. I am not perfect, nor do I imagine I ever will be. My God is perfect. I am forgiven. I am loved. I am His." You can find him on Twitter and at Reflections on the Life of a Christian.
Faith, Power, Who Is God in Who Is God?
Reader Comments (6)
Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of this series. I have been blessed by it.
Dude. I am serious when I say that I wish you would publish a devotional
Maybe one of these days I will... never considered myself a writer. :)
Thank you for the encouragement.
Yes and amen. I have seen His power and authority over and over. It's amazing that He still speaks and puts things in order or rearranges what must be rearranged. I'm responsible to respond and that makes all the difference. Great post, Dusty. Thank you!
I love this post.
And what I like the most about it is your bio.
Why haven't I ever read those words on your site before? "I am a Christian. I am not perfect, nor do I imagine I ever will be. My God is perfect. I am forgiven. I am loved. I am His."
Absolutely brilliant.
I have been changed by it! I've been saved by grace, and I'm so thankful. I also quit smoking a few years ago after years of trying and failing. That was definitely a miracle...