The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Faith and Power"
Our neighborhood is serviced by two main electrical transformers, one servicing the northern section, and another, the southern. Thus, at times, one part of the area will be powered, while the other is not. Several nights ago, after bad weather, we came home to find our part of the neighborhood illuminated and powered, while our friends to the north sat in darkness (it often works the other way, I assure you).
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).
The power of God determines the quality of our Christian lives and walk with God. Moreover, our faith in that power determines our experience thereof.
"We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).
"He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58).
This being true, we do well to seek growing confidence in God and His promised leading and enabling. We might do an analysis of our lives with Him, that is, asking Him to show us what we do that leads us to better know the trustworthiness of His heart and His promises, and what may hinder our faith therein. Anything that benefits our confidence should be affirmed, maintained, and enhanced. Anything that somehow discourages trust in the Lord Jesus Christ should be abandoned as the burden and harm it is. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Again, note that we perform such analysis not by ourselves, but as led by the Holy Spirit in His work to confirm or correct us. "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults" (Psalm 19:12). Only the Lord sees our truest need for change, and only He can pinpoint in us that which enhance or hinders our faith in Him. We play a role by choosing to be open to His ongoing work of conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus whereby we increasingly trust Him and thus know the power of God in our hearts and lives. "We shall live with Him by the power of God" (II Corinthians 13:4).
I felt badly for our neighbors the other night. However, we know our time will when the roles will be reversed. Let us pray for one another and for ourselves that we will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus that we will not spiritually sit in stillness and darkness because the power of God seems absent. For the believer, our Lord's promised strength is never actually missing from our spirits. However, through unbelief, it might as well be. God made us to trust Him - "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). Thus, we will know His presence and power only as we believe His promises and submit to His will in the confidence He will lead and guide us. Anything that confirms and enhances our faith therein must be embraced ever more firmly. Anything that hinders must be cast aside. May the Spirit of God lead us accordingly.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139:23-24)
Weekly Memory Verse
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth…. Be clothed with humility."
(III John 1:4; I Peter 5:5)
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