WE’VE GOT THE POWER!
In our Bible study lesson this week (Priscilla Shirer’s Gideon series), one of the daily lessons was on “The Unseen Supply”. This “unseen supply” is the power of God in our lives, His strengthening us to do what we cannot do on our own.
Priscilla referenced, in her side notes in this section of the study, the word “power”. In the Bible, the Greek origin of this word is dynamis. This word means “the capability, the ability, the power potential, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature”. The Bible references the word used this way in at least 77 different places.
Do you see a familiar word in this root? It’s the same root word that our word “dynamite” comes from. A stick of dynamite has a potential of power, it has inherent power residing in it. It is not until that stick of dynamite is lit that its power is on full display. Or, like a lamp that is plugged into a wall socket. The inherent power is there in the wall, in the electric lines that have been run and reside in the socket. There is also inherent power in the light bulb. But unless the switch is turned on and the connection is made, both of these power sources remain unavailable to each other. The same is true in our lives. God’s power, His inherent power, resides in us, once we are saved. It’s there for us to use And what is this power? It’s the power of Holy Spirit working in our lives that gives us capabilities and abilities that are not ours naturally. It’s up to us to connect ourselves with the power that resides in us!
. Before the cross, that power came ONTO people. In creation, we might even go so far as to say that it came onto things. The Bible tells us that “the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1: 1-2) The Spirit of God came upon Moses in the book of Numbers. The Spirit of God came upon many of Israel’s judges as listed in that same book, Gideon included (Judges 6:34). Jephthah and Samson experienced the power of God on their lives (Judges, 11:29, 13:25, 14: verses 6, and 19, and 15:14). After his anointing, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, and then upon his successor, David. In many, if not all of these instances, God’s Spirit empowered these men to do things that they could not have done in their own strength. This power would come and go, and not necessarily remain with that person. And, as Saul and David would later find out, God’s Spirit could depart from them as well, due to disloyalty and rebellion.
This side of the cross, that power resides IN us. Jesus had this indwelling power. Remember the story of the woman who was determined to touch the hem of His garment for her healing? The Scripture tells us that Jesus felt that “virtue” had gone out of Him? That was the woman tapping into the power that indwelled in Jesus. Virtue, in this instance, is that same root word, the “dynamis”, the potential power. You might say that this woman plugged herself into the Power Source! The result? She was healed instantly!
What does this power do in our lives? It gives us authority…authority to act! Jesus told the disciples many times that they had access to this same power source…the Holy Spirit. He told them in Luke 9: 1-2:
“And he called the twelve together, and gave them power over all the demons and to heal diseases. And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”
We must realize that once we are saved, God’s precious Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives and gives us authority, just as Jesus gave authority to His disciples…to accomplish that which we cannot do by ourselves.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
~Barb Scott
