5. Empowered…
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.
2 Peter 1:3-4
My house is full of appliances that do amazing things but only when I plug them into a power point. With electrical power surging through my fridge, I keep my food fresh. My kettle boils water, the coffee machine makes great lattes. Electrical power is a beautiful, strong and, often, dangerous thing that changes my world every day.
There is another even greater power – God’s almighty power. Through which we have been empowered to live out the promises he has made to us. Just as the discovery of electricity changed the lives of the world’s inhabitants so God’s power changes lives – there are so many testimonies of this going right back to the Old Testament:
When I raise my powerful arm and bring out the Israelites, then Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. Exodus 7:5
Remember the Lord your God, He is the one who gives you power to be successful. Deuteronomy 8:18
And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day on. 1 Samuel 11:6
And God’s power continues to work in and through you and I because of his promise of his Holy Spirit:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Acts 1:8
How powerful do you feel today? On a scale of 1-10?
As you prepare to discover the purposes, the plans, God has for you, you will need his power to enable you to be and do all that God intended.
God’s power comes to us through the gift of his Holy Spirit just as it did for the first time to the disciples gathered in a room all those years ago:
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4
Have you received the power of God’s Holy Spirit? Unfortunately, in many Christian circles the Holy Spirit has got a bad rap. Some believe that this was for the early Christians but not for today. Others think that it makes you into some sort of super spiro person. God’s Holy Spirit is his presence on earth for today. Receiving his Spirit means he comes to live in us, to guide us, empower us, teach us to live the lives God intended. Jesus promised his Spirit to his disciples (read John 14-17) because he could no longer be with them physically. Jesus is still giving his Spirit to those who follow him today…
Prayer: Lord, thank you for not leaving me alone when you returned to the Father. Thank you for the gift of your Spirit to empower me to live the abundant life you designed for me. Breath your Spirit into me afresh today.
Amen.
Action: If you don’t believe you have received his Holy Spirit, take some time out now to ask Jesus to fill you with his Spirit as he did his disciples so long ago (John 20:22-23)
Journal your thoughts:
