Power Outage

Hello friends!

This is what is becoming my weekly blog entry. This week has been crazy and I am sorry for not writing that much. I however must share what I read during devotions yesterday.

The meditation was talking about a morning when the writer woke up and realised the power had gone out during the night. He realised that soon people in his neighborhood would wake up to a morning without electricity and therefore would not be able to do certain things liks watch the news on television, make toast, brew coffee, and talk on the telephone.

Then I thought of how often I rush into the day without spiritual power. I spend more time reading the newspaper than the Bible. Talk radio replaces listening to the Spirit. I react to difficult people and circumstances in a spirit of fear rather than the spirit of“power and of love and of a sound mind”that God has given us (2 Timothy 1:7). I must appear as spiritually unkempt as a person who dressed and groomed in the dark.

Our power outage was short-lived, but the lesson remains of my need to begin each day by seeking the Lord. His strength is not for my success or well-being, but so that I will glorify Christ by living in His power.

I was very convicted by this devotional because it is so easy to rush into my day without coming to God and asking Him to be my source for the day. When I neglect coming into God's presence in the morning, I am not spiritually prepared for the day. Physically preparation is necessary, but spiritual preparation is just as necessary if not more so.

Another thing that challenged me yesterday came from 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline" (NIV). In talking with my friends lately, I am aware of the work of the enemy in their lives trying to cause them to stumble. Some of my friends have told me they feel very defeated at times. This verse encourages me though we may feel defeated, we are not. Satan is a defeated foe and we need to acknowledge him in that way.

The passage in 2 Timothy continues in this way (emphasis added), "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."

So many more things come to my mind as I read this passage, but for your benefit I will stop for now. I am so thankful for what God is teaching me through His word and I trust He is teaching you as well.

Have a great weekend!