God Empowers us

“If your life is an uphill slope, set your sails to catch God’s power.” – Woodrow Kroll

By His Spirit

If life seems to be an uphill battle, like Mr. Kroll said, then you’re going to need more power, but you had better not look within for that power. You must endeavor to keep moving forward but depend on God’s Spirit for the means. Zachariah understood this when he recorded an angel saying, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zech 4:6).

By His Word

Did you realize that God’s Word is the very power of God? It is God’s power in the gospel that saves (Rom 1:16; 1st Cor 1:18), not in our power to give it. If it depended on us, no one would be saved, but God’s Word has power to do what He sends it out to do, just as Isaiah wrote, “my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). I can’t do that. God’s Word can do what it says it can do, however God can empower us by His Spirit to speak His Word and use us as a means to save some.

By His Son

We can do nothing of ourselves. Jesus made that perfectly clear as He said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and “nothing” is not a little “something.” The Apostle Paul makes it clear that by himself he can do nothing, but rather “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). If Christ strengthens us…we can do all things according to His will…if He doesn’t strengthen us, then it’s nothing. How clear is that?

Conclusion

I don’t have to convince you that living life seems a lot like going uphill, but we can make it if we depend on God’s Spirit to empower us; for God’s Word to equip us; and for Jesus’ strength to help us. There is no other way we can make it to the top.

by Jack Wellman

Picture: Pixabay User

Prayer

“Almighty and eternal God,

who has revealed Your nature in Christ Jesus Your Son as love, I humbly pray You give me Your Holy Spirit to glorify You also in my heart as pure love, and thus constrain me by Your divine power to love You with my whole soul, and others as myself; that so by Your grace I may be fulfilled with love, and evermore abide in You, and You in me, with all joyfulness, and free from fear or distrust;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

- - - Christian K.J. Bunsen (adapted)