Yes, the land remained, but everything else would have to be built back again with sweat and blood and determination.”
–Elmer Kelton (After the Bugles)
“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old.”
–Amos 9:11 (NKJV)
————————————
I was reading over the weekend an article by Greg A. Lane which caught my attention. Ponder the following verses for a few moments: “Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:5-6, NKJV) Don’t leave that verse yet, read it one more time. Far too often we think of God as just a mighty man, a super superman, but that cannot even compare to His power. Lane brought to my attention the fact that when God deals with us puny, finite men, that He has to temper His strength.
Now think, when we pray “Lord, touch me,” we don’t realize what we are saying. If He did not temper His touch He would crush us with it. Or when we sing and pray, “Lord, breathe on me,” we forget that it was the breath of God that parted the Red Sea. Imagine what that would do to us. I have said this often before, do we realize what we are saying when we sing, “Lord, show us Your glory,” but if He did we would all die. How about the miracle of the feeding of the 5000? This was done from five loaves and two fish. Perhaps we should be careful when we say we want the Lord to embrace us–oh, my, what would happen to us, this world if He did not temper His power? (Greg A. Lane)
One of God’s attributes is that He is omnipotent–all powerful. Omnipotence means, “all powerful; able in every way and for every work.” He has unlimited ability. Stephen Charnock wrote, “The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve.” In Psalm 62:11, we read, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.” (NKJV) God can do all and perform all that He resolves to be good. Charnock continues, “Without power His mercy would be but feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His threatenings a mere scarecrow. God’s power is like Himself: infinite, eternal, incomprehensible; it can neither be checked, restrained, nor frustrated by the creature.”
Now, don’t go getting foolish on me and use the notions that I heard back in philosophy and psychology classes. “Can God make a rock that He cannot lift?” Sheer stupidity. God will not, cannot do anything that is against His holy character. He has nothing to prove, therefore He “cannot make a square circle, for the notion of a square circle is self-contradictory, nor can He cease to be God. But all that He wills and promises He can and will do.” (J.I. Packer)
From whence does He get His power? God. His power is not acquired, nor does it depend upon any recognition by any other authority. It belongs to Him, inherently. In fact, one of His names is power. All three of the synoptic gospel writers speak of the Son of man sitting on the “right hand of power.” “God’s power is like Himself, self-existent, self-sustained… He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power.” (Charles H. Spurgeon) He is under the control of no other power and there is no power that can direct Him, manipulate Him, or command Him. This should give us great comfort. “Seeing that He is clothed with omnipotence, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no passion too strong for Him to subdue; no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve.” (Arthur W. Pink)
His presence then gives stability. “I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:8, NKJV) The world around us, the culture in which we live, may change but God remains constant. When we are weak and insecure, God is there. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with us (Psalm 23:4) Because He is God–He is power–we have protection in times of crisis and difficulty. His power is an encouragement to prayer; His power encourages courage within us. “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NKJV) Remember, as you journey through this life in this evil world that God is there–God is the power. “For there is power, power, wonder working power…” (L.E. Jones)