Thought for Today
Genesis 16:6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please."
Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.
Luke 9:1 Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
“Power: 1a (1): ability to act or produce an effect; (2): capacity to be acted upon or undergo an effect; b: legal or official authority, capacity, or right; 2a (1): physical might; (2): ability to get extra-base hits; b: mental or moral efficacy; 3a: control, authority, or influence over others; b: political control or influence ; . . . “ (www.merriam-webster.com)
As I read the devotional this morning in These Days, the phrase “the power of God” leaped out at me. Power is a word we sometimes carelessly toss about. Certainly, our belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God is recognition of the power of God. Nothing could be more powerful than omnipotence.
But, exactly what do we mean when we speak of the power of God. Which of those dictionary definitions captures the essence of Genesis 1:1? Wherever you are right now, look around. Everything you see, everything in all of Creation, is a reflection of the power of our Creator God. Life itself, the air we breathe, our thoughts, every atom in the universe speaks to the power of God.
We hear a lot currently about the power of earthly governments. Military planners speak about ‘projection of power,’ the ability to exert one’s military strength across great distances and into difficult environments. Civil authorities speak of exerting policing power. Politicians relish and wallow in power. Business leaders are described as ‘men of power.’
These are all legitimate uses of our English word ‘power.’ But, they all pale in comparison to the power of God. Human power, whether military, political, civil or commercial is all transient, limited in application and duration.
Our next liturgical holiday will be Easter, April 5th. During Lent, Palm Sunday and Easter, Christians are confronted with human power trying to impact the power of God. The Roman Empire had incredible military, commercial and governmental power over large populations and in diverse parts of the world. Roman authorities could and did exert the power of life or death . . . often and cruelly. Roman magistrates and Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, the Christ. Jesus died on a Roman cross. We sing The Old Rugged Cross and acknowledge it as “The emblem of suffering and shame.” The cross was a place of unimaginable suffering. For Jews, there was the additional burden of “Deuteronomy 21:23 . . . anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you for possession.”
Yet, hopefully sometime during this Lenten season, you will read those words of Paul, “1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Surely if and when you confront the reality of that suffering and shame and those words of Paul, you will have pause to stop and think about the apparent contradiction.
The power of the Creator of Creation is not in military might. It is not in the political, civil or commercial use and application of power. The best example of the power of God is in the person of Jesus, the Christ. God did not enter into God’s own Creation as an emperor, a president, a general, a titan of industry. God entered as the son of a carpenter, born in one small village and raised in another.
In our modern world of smartphones and social media, we hear a lot about ‘influencers.’ I must admit that I am still struggling with understanding that as a career choice. During his earthly ministry, Jesus only encountered a small number of people in a remote part of a great empire. Jesus only influenced 12 men to become his disciples . . . and one of those betrayed him. “As of 2025, there are approximately 2.3 billion to 2.5 billion Christians worldwide . . .” (Bing search). That is a demonstration of “the power of God,” the efficacy of the foolishness of the cross.
Stay safe, have faith in God’s power, trust God,
Pastor Ray