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Articles
The Power of God
This past week as we watched Hurricane Ian’s landfall in the state of Florida - we were once again reminded of the raw power of nature and weather. Numerous videos have been shared on social media which contain the sight and sounds of the hurricane’s full-force. The before-and-after pictures are jaw-dropping and quite frightening. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against numerous homes and businesses throughout the state of Florida, and currently the eastern shoreline of the Carolina’s. We have prayed fervently for those who live in the path of this storm and will continue to pray in their recovery. The wake of Hurricane Ian’s winds and rains will be remembered as catastrophic and costly, but still this all pales in comparison to the power which resides in our God.
The Bible does not begin with a masterful defense of God’s pre-existence, but rather with the simple and profound statement of fact – “In the beginning God…”. What else was there in the beginning except – GOD! It was at this point - God stepped out on nothing, He looked at nothing, He spoke to nothing, but when He was done speaking - everything appeared! Moses recorded the event with these words – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The Hebrew writer wrote – “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). This is a power that is beyond our comprehension. There will never be a picture or video of creation shared on social media, but by faith we believe that God created the heavens and the earth from nothing!
The power of God was not extinguished at the conclusion of those six days, but rather it has continued to maintain and provide for His creation. John wrote – “11 Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Our physical lives have been created and sustained by the power of God to give Him the praise and honor as our Creator!
The power of God moves beyond His physical creation, and moves into the spiritual realm. When we sin and fall short of His glory, we have no hope of salvation within ourselves. Praise be to God for He has chosen not to leave us in this desperate condition! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). When we are powerless and can do nothing to change our condition, God extends to us His rich mercy and grace through His Son, Jesus! It is through the power and working of God that we can be forgiven of our sins and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4; Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 2:12). The power of God saves those who will hear, believe, and obey!
The power of God will once again be demonstrated at the close of this age and no one will escape this day. The apostle Peter wrote – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). All that was created by God at the beginning will be “burned up.” On this great and fateful day, we will either be found ready for Jesus’ impending arrival or we will be found wanting and lost for all eternity. Our God does not desire for anyone to be lost, but rather His patience gives us the time to repent and come to the knowledge of His truth (Romans 2:4; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). May we never neglect the time that has been given to us to be fully prepared for His return!
The power of God is amazing. It is beyond our comprehension, but it has been made abundantly clear through His creation and through His desire for the salvation of mankind. We must never let a day pass by without giving time and devotion to drawing closer to Him. Praise God for His patience! Praise God for His salvation! Praise God for His power that can transform our lives and make us into those He is not ashamed to be called their God!
