“Promise, Presence, Power”

"Promise, Presence, Power"

       

     "Deal bountifully with Thy servant that I may live, and keep Thy word" (Psalm 119:17).

     The Psalmist's request of the Old Testament is answered in the Savior's redemption of the New: "His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3).  Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ live from the abundance whereby  God "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).  Our Heavenly Father has indeed dealt "bountifully" with His servants, making possible a life beyond our human means.  "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

    A challenge, however, awaits us as we seek to "live and keep Thy word."  We presently "walk by faith, not by sight."   We must also "judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (II Corinthians 5:7; John 7:24).   Outward evidence often flows against the current of Christ's abundant presence and working in us.  Our emotions and human reasoning also frequently counter the Truth: "the flesh lusteth against the spirit" (Galatians 5:17).   We must therefore steep our hearts and minds in the Biblical truth of our Lord's promise, presence, and power in order to make determined choices to believe Him in the face of anything and everything that contradicts His Word.  "The Lord is my… strength, in whom I will trust" (Psalm 18:2).

    Note that the aforementioned provisions are declared in the past tense: "Hath given… hath blessed."  Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we already possess everything required to trust and obey God.  Moreover, He presently "worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).  Our experience of such grace and trust awaits our determined confidence to believe the Word of God in the face of any contrary evidence, whether from the appearance of outward things, or the emotion and faulty human reasoning we must deal with from within.  Of His own home country, Scripture declares that the Lord Jesus "did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58).  We are now the Lord's "home country," spiritually speaking, and may it not be said of us that our unbelief hindered His mighty working in us.  Abundant provision and power for the living of life abides within our spirits in the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Let us believe and affirm the Truth, and then rejoice as we discover again and again the faithfulness of His promise…

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

Weekly Memory Verse

    "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."

(Psalm 104:33)