by Rob Globke
Gen. 1:3
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
John 11:43-44a
When he [Jesus] had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out…”
When we look at certain NHL players, we can marvel at their God given ability to generate power. For example:
- Most people love seeing Zdano Chara light up with radar gun with his powerful slapper
- We all love seeing big, powerful hits delivered by the likes of Niklas Kronwall or Shea Weber
- We watch in amazement as guys like Ovechkin and Crosby fly up and down the ice with powerful strides, making the game look effortless.
Unending Power
Yet, despite how powerful some of our favorite NHL stars seem to be, they don’t hold a candle to the immense power of God. Our favorite NHL players need rest. They can only exert their power for certain lengths of time. How many slappers do you think Chara can take before he just can’t take a slapper anymore? How long does Crosby stay on the ice for a shift? All human power fades over time. This is the reality. But, God’s power is everlasting. His power does not wane or lessen. God’s power is unlimited. He does not need to recharge the batteries or eat a meal or take a nap to recoup what was lost in exerting energy. God can do what He wills without ceasing.
This is an amazing truth for our lives. We don’t have to wonder if God will be “ready” to act. He is always ABLE. He will always have all He needs to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. We will never be left alone to solve our problems with our own power. God will never tell us, “I can’t do that right now, I just need some rest.” God has immense power which never fades.
The Power in God’s Words
There are many examples of God’s power in the Bible, but let’s just focus our attention on two big ones. They can be seen in the verses at the top of this post. They are:
- God’s power in Creation
- God’s power in Salvation
God created all that we see. He created us! Not only did He create all things, but he created everything with is WORD. Wow, that’s some crazy power. God spoke and all we know, all we can experience, and everything that ever was came into existence. I have never seen any human tell a puck to go and it goes. It would be nice to just look at a puck and take a slapshot, It would be even nicer to have the power to say, “let there be a new Easton Synergy...and then there was a Synergy.” But, we know this is lunacy. We can’t create things by speaking them into being. Only God, by His great power, can do that.
The second verse from above, John 11:43-44a, demonstrates God’s second example of His immense power. This verse is the description of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In other words, Jesus “saved” Lazarus. This is an example of God’s power in salvation. It is important to notice how Jesus raised Lazarus from the tomb. Verse 43 says that Jesus “cried out with a loud voice”. Like God creating the world, we see it is through words that the power of God is displayed. That is how powerful God is.
So what does all this power mean for us?
It means many things, but let’s look at three to keep things simple before we wrap things up.
God’s power saves.
Just as God raised Lazarus from the dead, by His power He would also raise Jesus from the grave just three days after the cross. This power over death gives us life and hope. God is the only one powerful enough to give us this kind of life in the midst of death. His power is what “saves” us. Our salvation rests in the absolute trust, faith, and belief that this is true.
God’s power is available.
The Bible is God’s word. God created the world by His word. We have access to life changing power in God’s word (aka the Bible). Do not neglect this amazing reality. At no other time in history have we had this much access to the word of God. Don’t take it for granted. Read God’s word. It is powerful. So, so powerful.
God’s power solves.
God is so powerful there is no problem He can’t solve. This is pretty cool to think about. There is nothing in our life God can’t handle. No matter how sad, how overwhelmed, how in trouble, or how scared we could be. God has the power to help us. Now, please don’t think I’m saying that He ALWAYS will help. But, know that God can help. It is reassuring to know that we can go to God knowing that He will always listen to the problems we face. We also know that He loves and cares for us, so He will use His Immense Power to solve the problems we need solved...even if they aren’t solved in the way we want them to be.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
