God's Omnipotence

"If God is for us,

who can ever be against us?"

Romans 8:31b NLT

It felt like he was being bound.  He had God-given dreams and aspirations which he was excited to bring to fruition, but at every turn she stood against him.  Even though he was doing nothing wrong, she fought him as if he were violating some kind of sacred trust.  Would he ever be able to pursue his passion in life without finding continuous opposition from his employer?

It sometimes feels like those who are supposed to be my friends are really my enemies.  Other times there are adversaries God has allowed into my life who oppose me, making it hard for me to follow the path God has laid out for me.  Sometimes I may even find myself as the target of some unseen conspiracy where my every action is met with resistance.  

When I face such hostility, the good news is found in Psalm 118:6 where the psalmist focused on God's sovereignty.  "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?"  Psalm 118:6  When it feels like I can't catch a break from man, I must remember the benefits of God's preeminence as well as His matchless love for me as His child.

God's Favor.  The high priest and his 70 members of the Jewish ruling council were out to get the apostles of Jesus Christ.  This governing body threw the men in jail, jealous of the attention they were receiving as they performed signs and wonders, healing the sick and driving out demons from those who were living in bondage.  Surely their message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was heresy!

Still, the next morning these same men stood in the temple courts teaching all who would listen about this rebel Jesus Christ.  How did these jail birds escape?  When questioned, all they could say is God sent them and they must obey Him.  Then they had the audacity to accuse this sacred council of killing Jesus.  They could not let such claims go unpunished! (Acts 5:17-33)

Then came the voice of reason from one of their own.  The highly respected Gamaliel said, "Leave these men alone!  Let them go!  For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."  (Acts 5:38-39)

When I am walking in obedience to the Lord's calling on my life, it doesn't matter who opposes me for God's favor surrounds me as a shield.  (Psalm 5:12)

God's Protection.  It seemed risky to follow this path God marked out for me.  If I did what He was calling me to do, how would I survive?  I had no resources, nothing upon which to fall back.  I felt like a fool for putting myself and my family in such peril.

It is easy to think that walking by faith instead of by sight is a foolish endeavor. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Since I can't see the ground before me, I assume I'm teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to plunge down to meet my demise.  As God's precious child, however, I am protected by His constant presence and His righteous right hand.  (Isaiah 41:10)

Instead of assuming the worst, then, I can expect the best.  In the place of envisioning what terrors await me around the next bend, I can wonder what goodness God has planned for me this day.  While it is natural for me to brace myself against the difficulties I imagine are about to descend upon me, I can instead look forward to the blessings He has stored up for me.  (Psalm 31:19)

When I am doing as God called me to do, His mighty power protects me from harm.

God's Plan.  No one else had succeeded in opposing his efforts.  Until then, every sovereign nation he endeavored to conquer had fallen to his mighty army.  Why would the tiny nation of Judah be any different?  (2 Kings 18:13-37)

The Assyrian king Sennacherib was pretty confident in his ability to continue his plan of regional dominance by running over Judah.  Unfortunately for him, he did not know the power and sovereignty of the God of Judah.  While the other nations called on their gods but still fell, this people was different for they called on the One True God.

When God gives His marching orders, there is not one living, breathing human being who can stand against Him.  As Isaiah said, "When His hand is raised, who can stop Him?" (Isaiah 14:27)  Therefore, if I'm going in the direction in which God has pointed me, there is nothing anyone can do to thwart His plan for my life.  What, then, do I have to fear?

When I am walking the path God has marked out for me, His good plan will not be hindered, no matter how things might look.

Living life as a follower of Christ is not easy:  I often run into opposition of various kinds.  As a result, it is important that I keep God's omnipotent power always in mind, remembering that His favor shields me, His protection is over me, and His plan for my life cannot be frustrated.  With such benefits as these, I have nothing to fear.

As I begin this day may I keep God's omnipotent power always in mind.

When do I forget that God is in control?

How do I easily fall into periods of fear and doubt?  

Open my Eyes

"'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered.

'Those who are with us

are more than those who are with them.'

And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, 

open his eyes so he may see.'"

2 Kings 6:16-17

Elisha was in a tight spot.  Through the revelation of God, the prophet had been tipping off the king of Israel regarding the movements of his enemy's actions.  Whenever the king of Aram changed positions, the army of Israel had already anticipated their moves.  Frustrated, the king of Aram vowed to capture the prophet, ending their advantage.  

As the enemy troops gathered around the city, Elisha's servant took one look and knew they were doomed.  His courage was gone, his hope had disappeared, his strength had vanished.  They were surrounded!  The army of Aram was strong with horses and chariots, giving them the clear advantage!  There was no escape!

I feel like that sometimes.  I look at the circumstances of my life and deduce that there is no way out.  I am surrounded by problems.  I can see no possible escape from my troubles.  My thoughts turn to feelings of doom.

Then, I look to God, and He opens my eyes to the truth, much like Elisha's servant's vision was broadened.  When my perspective has changed and I see the multitudes that are fighting in my stead, my hope returns.

Broaden my View 

The bills pile up, my health declines, the family grows apart, I fall into despair.  All my problems feel overwhelming; they are taking up my entire viewpoint, blocking out the glory of God.  He is bigger than all my struggles, but my focus is too narrow.  I am concentrating excessively on the issues.

It is kind of like trying to view a majestic mountain from close up.  When I am on the mount, all I see is white snow.  It doesn't seem so impressive because I can't see the whole peak.  Once I descend and take a look at the same mountain from the valley below, I appreciate the magnificence of it's imposing presence.  Up close it just seemed like a vast snowfield.

In a similar way, I can't appreciate the power of God when I am focusing on a tiny part of the picture.  When I only see the here and now and the impossibility of my issues, I forget that God is bigger.  When I am trying to come up with solutions to my problems, I am overlooking the fact that God uses trials to refine me in the same way that a silversmith purifies silver in the fire.  When I dwell on the hardships, I fail to see all the good that God has given me.

The people of Judah found themselves in an impossible situation during the time of King Hezekiah.  The Assyrian army surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and the people were afraid.  But the wise king encouraged them by saying, "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Chronicles 32:7-8) Not surprisingly, the people gained confidence from his words. 

Notice that Hezekiah did not deny that the army that laid siege upon their city was large.  He was upfront about the threat that faced them.  What Hezekiah did was to remind everyone that no matter how big the problem, God is bigger!  Like God reminded Abram, "I am your shield, your very great reward." (Genesis 15:1)

When hard times hit, I can remember that God's power overwhelms any force that I can face.  If He is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31) Who or what can stand against the Lord?

When tough times overwhelm me, I need to broaden my view.

Lighten my Grip

I'll admit it; I'm a control freak.  I like to be in charge.  It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that I make the decisions.  Directing my own path seems natural.  The problem with this tendency is that I am not really in control.  I like to think I am, but the Creator of the universe is in charge.  

When I refuse to let go of my own sense of autonomy, I am in essence saying that I am god and there is no need for another.  My desire to manage my life the way I see fit and in the way that pleases me gets in the way of Jesus reigning as Lord of my life.  As Oswald Chambers said, "He is King of kings and Lord of lords from the day of His Ascension until now."  There is no doubt that Jesus sits on the throne, but does He reign in my life?  Or do my desires, comfort and well-being rule?

Trying to direct my own paths has not worked very well, in my experience.  I tend to obsess over problems, analyzing possible solutions and dreaming up various scenarios until I'm sick to death of thinking about my difficulty.  I never thought of myself as a worrier, but considering the fact that worrying is simply focused thinking on difficulties or troubles, I came to the conclusion that I am a first class worrywart!.

Jesus had something to say to me, the bundle of nerves. He said to watch the rest of creation for a clue: birds never worry because they trust God to provide for their needs.  He knows what I need better than I do, and I can place my confidence in Him rather than in my own wherewithal. Then He advised me to, ". . .seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Letting go of my desire to control and giving God dominion over my life means I will trust Him to provide my needs.  I will be so secure in His ability to supply that I won't even think about it.  Instead, I'll be completely focused on what He's doing around me and how I can join in.

When my grip is white-knuckled, it's time to let go and give God a chance.

Narrow my Scope

We've all heard it: "He who plans to fail, fails to plan."  The maxim to "plan ahead" is drilled into our minds at a young age.  While it is wise to give thought to my future, if I extend those thoughts to foreseeing possible difficulties and taking part in troubleshooting of future imagined problems, I will work myself into a pile of nervous anxiety.  

John Piper, author and pastor, explained this phenomenon by using the term, "future grace."  He said God gives us a continuous supply of grace, but each day's supply is sufficient only for that day's trouble. That's why Jesus said to, "not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  

I have been given enough grace to handle today's problems, but when I hone in on things that may happen in the future, I am weighed down by the pressure.  I have not yet been given the strength to handle what may come tomorrow.  I am only enabled to cope with today.

As I "borrow trouble" by focusing on the future, I am taking away the grace that was meant for today.  Corrie Ten Boom, holocaust survivor and author of The Hiding Place, said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength."  Using today's God- given resources to attempt to deal with tomorrow's troubles robs me of today's grace.

Instead, it is my desire to maximize the grace God has given me for this day and use it only for today's difficulties. 

When my vision is too far-sighted, it's time to narrow my scope.

There is a lot in this world to keep me anxious.  If, however, I broaden my view to take in all that God is doing behind the scenes to protect me, lighten my grip to give God dominion over my life, and narrow my scope to focus only on the troubles God has supplied the grace to handle, I will live a life of peace that passes understanding.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will live my life with my eyes wide open to God's sovereign work that is happening all around me.

How do I discount God's power by trying to rely on my own strength?

When do I think I can try to tackle tomorrow's problems and thus borrow trouble?