Posts
No Power
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key Verse:
Ephesians
3:16, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power
through his Spirit in your inner being.” (NIV)
Devotion:
Today
my plans were to “carpe-diem”—to seize the day. I snatched a yogurt and read my
email. Next, I went for my daily three-mile walk, and then I hurried back to my
office to write. That’s when the day went awry.
The
lights flickered. My computer went dark. Oh
great, I thought, the powers out!
No power translates to no writing, no laundry, no vacuuming. OK, I’ll run to the grocery store and get my
shopping out of the way. Of course, the garage door wouldn’t open until I
climbed up on the bumper of my car and yanked the manual chain. Hurriedly, I
climbed into the seat and turned the ignition key. Click, click, click. I
noticed the instrument panel registered no juice from the battery, again no
power.
Disgusted
at the day, I strode back into the house. I pondered anxiously what I could
mark off on my to-do list with no electricity and no car. I spotted my Bible on
the coffee table. All right, I will sit down and have my quiet time. Then I
could check it off my list.
I
sat down with my Bible study, my journal, and my Bible. As I began, I
immediately felt a sense of peace flow into me. I read, Ephesians 3:16, “I pray
that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his
Spirit in your inner being” (NIV). I knew I needed the power that comes only
through the Holy Spirit to get me through this day!
Then
my study prompted me to 2 Peter 1:3. It read, “His divine power has given us
everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who
called us by his own glory and goodness (NIV). His power would give me
everything I need, every moment of every day, but I must allow myself to be
filled with His Power. This can only occur when I settle down and spend time
with God.
Suddenly,
I realized the electrical power outage in my home was a blessing to me. I would
have buzzed around doing my list of chores. It’s very likely I wouldn’t have
sat down to read my Bible. I would have missed the most important Source of
power for the day.
Tomorrow,
I will start the day infusing myself with His power. I will pray, journal, and
read my Bible. Then even if my day goes awry again, I will be prepared to
handle it with the strength of Him who turns darkness into light.
Prayer:
Dear
Lord, help me to realize that nothing is more important than my time with you.
My moments with You equip me with the power I need to handle anything life
throws my way. On my own, I am weak. But with You I can do anything when You
strengthen me! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application steps:
Decide
to have your devotional time in the morning for the rest of this week. Place
your Bible, a good Bible study, and a journal in an easy to see place. Let it
be your reminder that you need power from God each day before you tackle the
rest of your to-do list.
Refection points:
Do
I fret when my day goes awry from my plans?
Is
my quiet time with God a top priority?
How
can I receive more spiritual power in my life?
Power verses:
Mark
6:31, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not
even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a
quiet place and get some rest.” (NIV)
2
Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness.” (NIV)
Acts
1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.” (NIV)
Acts
3:12, “When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this
surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had
made this man walk?” (NIV)
© 2007 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment