We need God's power

This afternoon, the power went out here at the church.  Twice.  The first time, they told us that it wasn't going to come back on until Thursday noon.  But it came back on.  Went off, and now is on again.

Every time that happens, we realize how powerless (no pun intended) we are to do our work.  Obviously, we can't work on computers, there are no lights to see with, we are basically rendered ineffective.

We need God's power in our lives.

Without it, we are rendered ineffective in our Christian walk and our battle against the enemy.

I read a story this week about a man who strolled out of a hardware store with a smile on his face and a brand-new chainsaw in his hands. He was told it could cut down five big oak trees in an hour. Twenty-four hours later, however, his smile was gone.

Frustrated, he was back at the store complaining that the saw would never cut five trees in an hour. "It took me all day to cut down five trees," he said.

Puzzled, the store owner stepped outside with the saw, gave the cord a swift pull, and fired up the steel-toothed beast. Its deafening roar sent the customer stumbling to get away. "What’s that noise?" he gasped.  :)

It’s ridiculous for someone to try to cut down trees with a chain saw without starting it up.

But that’s how foolish we are as Christians when we try to live for Christ in our own strength.

We get frustrated and spiritually exhausted when we try to work things out on our own terms and according to our own schedule.

We fail to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Romans 8:9-11). Yet His presence can become real and powerful when we rely on Him.

Just some thoughts for a Tuesday.