Thursday, November 24, 2016

I Have the Power

     I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC as I do every Thanksgiving Day.  (Love the Parade!  Always enjoyable to watch performers Milli Vanilli-ing it down the parade route.)
     The commercials -- the message of them -- bothers me:  the power of science, the power of medicine, the power of the people.  I am saddened at the darkness that has shrouded this world, which causes us to believe that real power comes from created things.  
     Science is awesome.  Medicine is wonderful.  People can do amazing things.
     I had a friend recently tell me how they want to be a better person and then went on to list how.  But does this friend remember that they can't do all of that on their own?
     We are not strong enough.  Stronger together, yes, but we do not have the power within ourselves to move mountains.
     Only God has the power.  It is his Spirit in us that is our strength and our power.  Only El Shaddai (God Almighty), Yahweh Tsebaoth (LORD of hosts) is the True Power to move mountains.

Psalm 18:1-19 NLT

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.  He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.  Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.  Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.  They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.  He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
(copied from biblegateway.com)

     That is power.

From Psalm 46 NIV

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging....Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress..... The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
(copied from biblegateway.com)

      That is power.

     2 Kings 6:8-23 tells a story of Elisha and his servant.  Elisha, a prophet of God, had angered the king of Aram and the king and his army hunted Elisha down.  Elisha's servant saw the great army of king Aram surrounding the city in which they were staying, and the servant was terrified.  But Elisha said to his servant: "Don't be afraid.  Those with us are more than those with them" (v 16).  Then Elisha prayed that God would open his servant's eyes "'so that he may see.'  Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (v 17).
     Following this, Elisha asked that God would close the eyes of his enemies.  And God did; he blinded the army of the king of Aram, and Elisha led them into the camp of enemy territory.  When God opened the eyes of the king of Aram's army, they found themselves captives of their enemies.

     That is power.

      There has never been a mountain that God could not move it.
      My church choir sang, "There's Never Been a Mountain," that I have on CD.  I call it my "battle music," and play it every Monday that I have to prepare payroll submission -- yep, payroll submission day is that stressful.  My power -- our power -- comes from the Lord, God Almighty.  My heart cries for those who don't believe it.