Daily Devotional For Saturday, January 25, 2025
Good morning. Hope all of you survived well during the Winter Vortex we had. The snow was beautiful and rare around here. I pray that none of you lost power during these frigid temperatures. It is amazing that when it comes to power, how much of our lives depend on it. We rarely do or use anything that doesn’t require some form of power. The Bible says this in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (NASB).
The word translated as power is the Greek New Testament word [δύναμις, dunamis]. This is where we get our English word “dynamite.” Talk about some power, dynamite blasts things to pieces. Jesus says that is the kind of power we have from the Holy Spirit. We have no excuse. This is the point of Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (NIV).
The right time refers to both the timing in history and the timing in God’s plan. This is the point of Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (NASB). New Testament scholar Bruce Barton puts it this way: “In the face of our powerlessness, God was fully in control. The events in human history did not determine the plan of salvation; the plan of salvation was designed by God to happen at just the right time” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Romans,” p. 103).
We are saved only because God took the initiative and demonstrated His incredible grace and love by sending His own Son to take the punishment we deserved. And He did this while we were powerless (unable to do God’s will because of the power of sin in our lives) and ungodly (constantly living independently of God). So, when we claim we are powerless, we are lying to ourselves and to the Lord.
We don’t like to think of ourselves as powerless. After all, humans can do some remarkable things. But we are the descendants of Adam, a race of rebels who are powerless to bridge the gap between ourselves and God. You don’t have to teach us to be selfish, envious, or critical because we’re all hardwired that way. The prideful audacity of humanism suggests if you give us enough education, time, and cooperation, we’ll solve the ills of humanity.
It takes tremendous arrogance to think that, after several millennia of civilization—when we still treat one another with unbelievable violence, hatred, and cruelty—we can work this out. There are loud voices that deny our need for God because it threatens their assertion that humans are innately good. The Church of Jesus Christ holds the truth: We are powerless without Him. The world needs our message. That’s why you, with your voice for Jesus, are so valuable.
Michael Knowles tells a story about Pastor and author John Stott in his book:
“John Stott shares the following story from 1958 when he was leading a university outreach in Sydney, Australia. The day before the final meeting, Stott received word that his father had passed away. In addition to his grief, Stott was also starting to lose his voice. Here's how Stott describes the final day of the outreach:
It was already late afternoon within a few hours of the final meeting of the mission, so I didn't feel I could back away at that time. I went to the great hall and asked a few students to gather around me. I asked one of them to read … "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness," (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). A student read these verses and then I asked them to lay hands on me and … pray that those verses might be true in my own experience.
When time came for me to give my address, I preached on the [broad and narrow ways from Matthew 7]. I had to get within half an inch of the microphone, and I croaked the gospel like a raven. I couldn't exert my personality. I couldn't move. I couldn't use any inflections in my voice. I croaked the gospel in monotone. Then when the time came to give the invitation, there was an immediate response, larger than any other meeting during the mission, as students came flocking forward …
I've been back to Australia about ten times since 1958, and on every occasion somebody has come up to me and said, "Do you remember that final meeting in the university in the great hall?" "I jolly well do," I reply. "Well," they say, "I was converted that night."
Stott concludes, "The Holy Spirit takes our human words, spoken in great weakness and frailty, and he carries them home with power to the mind, the heart, the conscience, and the will of the hearers in such a way that they see and believe” (Source: Michael P. Knowles, editor, The Folly of Preaching, pp. 137-138).
We often make our obedience and trust of the Father to our ability rather than the power of Jesus Christ. We can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength – emphasis “through Christ.” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (NASB). The Apostle Paul wrote these words under house arrest shackled or chained to a Roman soldier having no privacy. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll adds some clarification to this often misused, misquoted and misunderstood verse:
“This doesn’t mean that Paul could accomplish all his personal goals, fulfill all his dreams, or acquire fame and fortune. The “all things” refers to surviving the extremes of life. To paraphrase: “Whatever ups and downs life sends my way, I can handle whatever comes, not through my own strength, but by the power of Christ.” Nothing else suffices but Christ. He alone gives the strength we need to endure. Not education, not money, not political clout, not positive thinking, not self-assertiveness” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “Philippian, Colossians & Philemon,” p. 94).
We can always achieve earthly accomplishments. However, without God, we are not able to do anything that glorifies Him. Without God, there is no true and lasting hope—without God, our efforts are in vain as John Stott discovered.
Questions To Consider
- Read Philippians 4:13 again. This is a very familiar verse to most Christians. We know it and yet do we really believe it? What hardships has the power of the Lord brought you through?
- What accomplishments has the power of the Lord helped you get done?
- When John Stott found himself powerless, the power of Christ intervened and even years later people were talking about that experience. What does that tell you about your own powerless moments?
- When have you found yourself in a situation and you felt absolutely powerless to do anything about it? So, what did you do?
- Please take a moment to thank the Lord for His power and how He has helped you. Find a way today to give God credit publicly to others for this.
Scripture To Meditate On: 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, I rejoice in Your great love for me. You have been patient and gentle, even when I have been selfish and rebellious. Today, I choose to humble myself before You, acknowledge my sin, and ask for Your forgiveness. Jesus, I yield to You as Lord of my attitudes and actions. May Your Kingdom be lifted up on the earth. I thank You for Your wonder-working power in me. Without You I could do nothing but with You and Your power, no matter the circumstances, all things are possible. I love You Jesus. In Your name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly