Ephesians 3:14-16 (NIV)
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from
whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out
of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in
your inner being,
Almir had heard about the incredible power of electricity
from the white men visiting his tribe. He wanted more than anything to
experience this power for himself, but when he finally succeeded in moving to a
place where housing with such power was available, he had no idea how to tap
into it.
Neighbors encouraged him to buy devices such as a
television, a radio and even an alarm clock. When he raised enough money, he
followed their advice and purchased these items, but this only frustrated him
because none of these seemed to work! The television set stood in his room, but
no matter what he did, it remained silent and still. The radio was no
different, and he couldn't help but wonder what the little black box called an
"alarm clock" could possibly be used for.
As he sat in his dark, silent house, he was mystified as
to why so many people boasted about electricity. And the funny thing was, it
really did seem to work for them! How could something supposedly so useful be
so totally useless to him? Why were others successful, while he experienced
utter failure? Had he done something bad in his life that hindered him from
enjoying such power?
No one bothered to tell Almir that he needed to be
connected to the power source, which he needed to plug the power cord into the
electrical outlet!
Just imagine for a moment trying to use electric devices
without electricity. Electronics would remain completely inoperative. A
television set would be merely decoration-and not even a pretty one! But by
tapping into the electrical source, you suddenly become provided with power
beyond imagination. You can write or talk to people living in distant
countries, you can be provided with heat or air-conditioning, you can cook and
preserve food-All things unheard of 100 years ago!
The same is true with God's Spirit, the "spiritual
electricity" to anyone who believes. However, His power remains a mystery
to anyone who does not connect himself to God by receiving His Holy Spirit!
We cannot even fathom all the power that is available to
us! Is it possible that just like Almir, we experience defeat because we do not
know how to "be connected"? So many depend on their own efforts to
attain heaven and to develop intimacy with God, but in all reality it is God
Himself who pursues us and makes intimacy with Him possible! And, He grants us
salvation at the same time!
Is it possible that so many believers are experiencing
failure because they have no idea of the power available to them through God's
Spirit? Is it possible that we concentrate too much on our own efforts instead
of depending solely on Jesus' faith? Are we realizing how much God really loves
us?
The difference between a victorious believer and a
defeated one is that the first one is connected and remains connected. The
first one lets "God's fullness" fill his inner void. Nothing else
will do! Illicit attractions from this world will always be unfulfilling and
deceiving and will inevitably lead to addictions. Victory can be ours, but only
if we depend on Jesus' faith. Only if we make the decision to remain connected
with the All-Powerful One!
Dear Lord, we thank You for the power that You have for
each one of us. Help us to stay connected
with that power. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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