Category Archives: Power

Bible, Dependence, Power, Scripture, Strength

POWERLESS

ZECHARIAH 11:17

“‘Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, and his right eye will be blind.’”

I was in a hotel room recently that had some power issues. The coffee maker did not work, and the television did not work. They were both plugged in but had no power. I could not figure out how to fix it. So, I called maintenance. They were “Johnny on the spot” and came right up. He quickly diagnosed the problem and got them both working. A man has to have his coffee, right?

The Lord is speaking here in verse 17 today and describing the “worthless shepherd.” The right arm symbolized his strength and power. His right eye symbolized his knowledge or what he thought he knew. Both would be rendered powerless, according to the Lord. Many scholars think this shepherd represents the “abomination of desolation” that is described in 2 Thessalonians 2.

APPLICATION

Where does your power come from? Carl, I have been working out and having gotten so powerful. That is not what I am talking about. Physical strength is important to us, but our spiritual strength is so much more important. You cannot rely on your own strength. One of my favorite verses of Scripture is Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” Is that true of you?

When we rely on Christ for our strength, we do not have to worry about our right arm or our right eye. All our strength comes through Him. All our knowledge comes from Him. Through Him we can work and through Him we can see. Have you ever stopped to think that your powerlessness to face life’s challenges is because you are trying to do it in your own strength? So many of us do that.

It has taken me decades to realize that truth. Sure, I knew it intellectually. But only through the trials of life did I discover just how true it is. Earlier in Zechariah we saw another favorite verse of mine. Zechariah 4:6 tells us, “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’” We should all learn to live by that.

Lord, I am powerless without You. Strengthen me according to Your power.

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Advocate, Allegiance, Allies, Bible, Courage, Defense, Power, Scripture, Strength

NO MATCH FOR GOD

ZECHARIAH 10:5

“And they will be like warriors, trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle; and they will fight, because the LORD will be with them; and the riders on horses will be put to shame.”

One year when my high school football team played a team from Alabama, it was the mismatch of the century. We were a small private school in South Georgia with a small team. We probably had 25-30 players at max. Most of the starters played both offense and defense. But in rode this other team on three busses. They probably had 90-100 players and they were skilled. The final score showed the mismatch (50-3). We literally had no chance against that team.

Anyone who goes against the Lord is mismatched. 1 Chronicles 17:20 says, “LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears.” Israel knew their God was great and would be with them in battle, should it come. God is reinforcing those beliefs here through Zechariah.

APPLICATION

God is with us, to fight our battles. His might is mightier than any foe we face. We only lose these battles when we think we are defeated. That team we faced on that field could have lost to us if they hadn’t played to their skill level. We fought hard against them every play. But they knew they had a superior force. Hey listen, we do too.

God is the mighty warrior. I have been memorizing Psalm 24. It’s only ten verses. I love verse 8 that says, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle.” Do you think God is through fighting His children’s battles here on earth? No way. He fights mine every day. I invoke His power and His strength daily.

I pray you know that He is on your side. He does not turn us into some kind of superhero, but He does give us the strength to face each challenge head on. There is nothing the devil can throw at you that He cannot defeat. He will use you to do that. Trust Him. He is your strength. He is your mighty power. You are His soldier in the battle. Fight on!

O Master and Defender, give me the courage to fight each day. Help me put on the full armor to fight the enemy.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Faith, God's Will, Gospel, Power, Salvation, Scripture

TRUE POWER

ZECHARIAH 4:6

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’”

Oh, do I have stories to tell of my attempts to do things on my own. Whether it was stubbornness about a task I needed to accomplish or my impatience with others resulting in me going it alone, I learned that I need others in my life. I particularly need the one true source of power – Jesus Christ. Amen?

Today’s verse is an often quoted verse. But seldom do people go back to the vision in verses 2-5 to get the full meaning of this verse. Just as the lampstand was fed eternally by the olive trees depositing an endless supply of olive oil, so too would Israel be provided the strength through Jehovah. It wasn’t about military strength or their own physical strength. It was God who would enable them to finish the temple to His glory.

APPLICATION

We need His Spirit. We need His power. It is not about us. It is all about Him. Have you experienced this? I pray you have. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The power of God! For salvation! To everyone who believes!

We find later in the New Testament, another writer stating the same message. 1 Peter 1:5 says about believers, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Not only does His power save us, but it also protects us. Why would we not want to yield to Him?

Let me let you in on a little secret. God will let you try it on your own. Even though He has drawn you to Him, He will not force you to receive this power. And then when you find out that you can’t do it, He is there. That was my dad’s testimony. He finally realized at 80-years-old that he couldn’t do it on his own. Glory! Hallelujah! You can know that too.

It is Your power, God. It is Your Spirit that gives us strength.

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Accused, Angels, Bible, Forgiveness, Guilt, Power, Redemption, Scripture

FILTHY

ZECHARIAH 3:3

“Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel.”

I have been filthy! Yep, I have, but I mean that in the physical sense. I grew up working. I have had some pretty demanding and nasty jobs. Few came close to working in the tobacco fields when I was young. When you are handling wet tobacco leaves, the tar from the leaves covers your hands and clothes. I could literally stand my jeans up upon returning home due to the stiffness of the material from being soaked all day in that tar. And I was filthy!

But the Lord is not referring to that kind of filth on Joshua’s garments in Zechariah’s vision. That filth was due to the sins he and the nation of Israel had committed. But I want you to see something in this verse. Even though his garments were filthy, he still was able to stand before the angel. You see, God takes us right where we are – filth and all. We’ll see what happens in the next few verses. Come back and see.

APPLICATION

Are you filthy? Do you have unconfessed sins in your life. Perhaps you are not a believer. In that case, you stand filthy before the Lord. Those sins stain you, just like that tobacco tar stained me. I love the last part of James 1:27. “…and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” This old world will definitely stain you with all the filth that is in it.

So, what do we do about that? We come to Jesus. He has the ultimate cleansing power. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Did you catch that? He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What a promise! What a claim to make.

When we confess our sins as a believer, His blood, which has already saved you, washes it away. And for the unbeliever, His blood does the same. That blood will never lose its power. It never loses its strength. It can cleanse the filthiest sinner and make him white as snow. Have you been cleansed? Come to Jesus.

What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Confession, Darkness, Fellowship, Forgiveness, God's Will, Power, Scripture

FROZEN SUN AND MOON

HABAKKUK 3:11

“Sun and moon stood in their lofty places; they went away at the light of Your arrows, at the radiance of Your flashing spear.”

June 21 is normally the longest daylight day of the year where I live. The sun seems to hang in the sky forever. But I cannot imagine the scene in Joshua 10 when the sun literally stood still. “12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day when the LORD turned the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, ‘Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, at the Valley of Aijalon!’ 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go down for about a whole day. 14 There was no day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.”

Habakkuk, perhaps, is recalling that story. He knows God has that kind of power. His point in today’s verse is to remind the people of God’s omnipotence. He even holds the sun and moon in His hand and does with them as He wishes. If that is so, then surely, He can handle what they are going through.

APPLICATION

What do you believe? Do you believe God can handle your problems? I told someone this week, “Whatever is over your head is under His feet.” God can and will handle it, in His time. But you must believe. You must trust the God of the universe to carry you through whatever it is you are facing.

My family has been through a lot in the past dozen years. They watched me go through two stem cell transplants for an incurable disease with no guarantee I would pull through. But in the midst of that, we trusted our Lord. We knew whatever happened, He was in control.

The same God who turned His back on His Son and caused the world to go into darkness because of the sin which Jesus took on Him is the same God who will not work in your life as He desires until your sins are confessed and you are in fellowship with Him. Turn to Him today and confess your sins to Him. Let Him wash you clean and work in your life today. Come out of the darkness.

Father, today I bring all my sins and transgressions to You. Forgive me, Lord, and set me back on the right path.

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Bible, Creation, Glorify, Power, Praise, Scripture

NATURE RESPONDS

HABAKKUK 3:10

“The mountains saw You and quaked; the downpour of waters swept by. The deep raised its voice, it lifted high its hands.”

I have said it before, but creation groans at the presence of God. When we keep our mouths shut and don’t extol His greatness, the trees and birds will take up the slack. God’s presence can be seen everywhere around us if we will just look.

Habakkuk is telling us the same thing. The mountains see God and quake. Perhaps there were actual earthquakes or the thunder echoing off the mountains made them appear to quake. The waters sweeping by like the judgment of God on His people. The ocean deep raises its voice, and its waves lift high His name. What a beautiful picture.

APPLICATION

I do not want creation to outdo me when it comes to giving God praise. I want to “out glorify” the trees and rivers, mountains and oceans. I want my praise of my King to be loud and proud. I want the world to know where my allegiance is.

Today, we are so busy worshipping creation that we forget the Creator. So many environmental groups will fight to protect a single salamander in a forgotten stream somewhere but won’t pause for a second to recognize the creative force behind it all.

This Christmas, as you celebrate Jesus’ birth, take a minute and celebrate our great Creator. Thank Him for His presence in all of creation which points us back to Him. But also, glorify Him above all. Don’t let the trappings of Christmas “out glorify” you. Make your voice heard above the clamor of Christmas. Jesus is born in Bethlehem.

I will shout it from the mountaintop that Jesus is Lord. Praise the God of all creation.

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Accountability, Attention, Belief, Bible, Commands, Faithfulness, Ministry, Power, Scripture

WHEN GOD SAYS, “JUMP”

HABAKKUK 3:6

“He stood and caused the earth to shudder; He looked and caused the nations to jump. Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered, the ancient hills collapsed. His paths are everlasting.”

You’ve all heard the expression when someone is in charge and wants immediate responses. When they say, “Jump,” you are supposed to ask, “How high?” In other words, don’t question the directive. Just do it. Some parents are that way. Some bosses are that way.

Habakkuk describes God that way. Even the earth and the nations respond to God immediately. Habakkuk tells us the mountains are scattered at His voice. The ancient hills collapse. God’s power is incredible. He can literally cause the universe to change. We would do well to remember that as we interact with the Holy of holies.

APPLICATION

The world today seems to belittle or limit God. Many do not believe He is capable of the miraculous anymore. Those days are gone or so they think. God has shown off in the past but not anymore. Don’t believe that for a second. He is still up to the incredible.

As I travel the globe in my ministry, I hear stories told of the dead being brought back to life. I hear about villages being supernaturally protected from the evil forces who want to destroy them. God is still about the miraculous. He is not done showing the world who He is and what He is capable of.

And the greatest miracle of all is the miracle He does in the life of a sinner who comes to Jesus. He totally cleanses that person of their sins and gives them a new life in Christ. He sets them on His everlasting path towards glory and gives them a new purpose. That’s miraculous!

Father, forgive me when I doubt Your power in my life. I can do nothing without You.

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Abiding, Affliction, Bible, Enemies, Hope, Power, Scripture, Security, Strength

THEY’RE COMING

HABAKKUK 2:7

“‘Will your creditors not rise up suddenly, and those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them.’”

We have all heard stories from friends who have suffered financial hardships. The creditors start calling and don’t let up. Answering the phone is scary. Even knocks on the door cause fear to enter. Knowing creditors are literally at your door is a frightening thing.

The Lord is telling Habakkuk that these Chaldeans, who think they are so strong and terrible, will be trembling as their enemies fall on them suddenly. They will collapse under the hand of those who they had so cruelly reigned. They will become the plunder. Their “creditors” are going to destroy them.

APPLICATION

Are you living in fear of something? What or who is knocking at your door? If we are not relying on Jesus, we are living dangerously. There is nothing that can protect us outside of Him. He is the only One Who can! He not only knows what is coming. He knew it before they did.

If that doesn’t calm your heart, nothing will. The God of Ages has your back. I do not mean to imply that you won’t go through hard times. We all do. But knowing that the Lord is there to defend you should give you the confidence to forge forward.  I am not trying to paint a rosy, pie-in-the-sky picture. I know this to be true because His Word tells us.

He tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us (Dy 31:6; Heb 13:5). He is our strong tower and the righteous run to Him (Pr 18:10). I could go on and on, but there are literally hundreds of verses that tell us He is there. Trust Him. Let Him defend you.

You are my strong tower, Lord. I will run to You.

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Accused, Affliction, Battles, Bible, Defeat, Devil, Evil, Power, Scripture, Victors

LED AWAY

NAHUM 2:7

“It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves, beating their breasts.”

I had a friend, who is now with the Lord, who was captured and was a prisoner of war during World War II. He survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines that was led by the Japanese. He told me once how hopeless and helpless he felt. I cannot imagine what he went through.

Nahum is describing Nineveh as a woman being led away in captivity – stripped, sobbing, beating their breasts. Hopeless, helpless! When Nineveh was defeated, the surviving inhabitants were led away. Nineveh would never be the same. Rebellion against God never ends well.

APPLICATION

We often feel defeated. We feel hopeless and helpless when the enemy is upon us. When we give in to the attacks, he can rob us of our joy. But we must remember what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

We are not defeated. We are victorious because of Christ. We are the victors. The war has already been decided, and we are on the winning side. Never forget that. We will face battles in the future, and we may fail at times. But we are not captives.

Aren’t you glad that you are not on a death march? When you  get discouraged, look up. You need allies in your life who can come alongside you during those trying times. Most of all, turn to Jesus, who can take all your pain away. You are NOT DEFEATED!

Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming love.

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Accountability, Accused, Bible, Destruction, Judgment, Majesty, Power, Scripture

THE EARTH SPLITS

NAHUM 1:5

“Mountains quake because of Him, and the hills come apart; indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, the world and all the inhabitants in it.”

I have never experienced an earthquake. Where I live, they are not common. I have friends who live on the west coast of America, and they have experienced them. They describe their houses shaking and moving. Some have shared pictures of breaks in the ground. They have not seen mountains quake, but they believe they could.

As Nahum uses this imagery to describe the mighty hand of God, this exhibition of raw power is just the fingertip of God. In fact, since God spoke all of the earth into creation, He could just as easily speak it into extinction. The Ninevites have stirred the wrath of God, and even their physical environment will suffer.

APPLICATION

Just how powerful do you think God is? Well, that’s a stupid question, Carl. I know God is all-powerful. We say that and may even believe it. So, why are we so surprised when He does those things that only He could do, things for which there is no other explanation?

I have said it before – our western minds try to eliminate the supernatural in favor of the natural. We like to try to explain it. We want to put everything into nice, neat, little boxes. Sometimes, however, God just shows up and acts in such a way that only his majestic power can explain.

May I encourage you to not too hastily disregard these acts of wonder. Let them sink in a minute. Perhaps you are witnessing a God act. Maybe He has privileged you to be a part of it. Just don’t throw out the supernatural explanation before you have prayed about it. I am hoping to see more and more of these events in my lifetime as God chooses to show us these end-times we are in.

Open my eyes that I may see, Lord. Let me see the works of Your hands everywhere.

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