Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…"
Text: Ephesians 1:19
GOD’S GREAT POWER APPLIED INTO OUR LIFE
Having established that God has astonishingly great power, Paul went on to suggest that this magnificent power might be applied into our life! The idea of God’s power being poured into mere human beings was not a new one. The Old Testament Scriptures contain numerous examples of how God’s power transformed lives. The Book of Hebrews highlights the lives of many who had experienced the power of God in their lives.
“But what more shall I say?
For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak
and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and
Samuel and the prophets,
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle,
turned to flight the armies of aliens…”
HEBREWS 11:32-34
These exploits would have been impossible if God’s power had not been poured into their lives. These were ordinary people who had learned to have faith in an extraordinary God.
“TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE”
What is the common thread among these great heroes? Hebrews 11 concurs with what Paul suggested. All possessed “faith”. The word “faith” (“pistis”) and the word “believe” (“pistueo”) is essentially the same root word. The former is in the noun form and the latter is in the verbal form.
Once again we are indebted to the writer of Hebrews who effectively defines the kind of faith that God is pleased with.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
The evidence of things not seen.But without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
HEBREWS 11:1, 6
“ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER”
There is happy symmetry between God’s power and our faith in Him. This has always been God’s design. The Gospels are full of examples of how the Lord Jesus healed many because of their faith in Him. To the woman who suffered terribly from a chronic ailment and to many others like her, He would say,
“Your faith has made you well”
MARK 5:34
That great power of God is still available to us even today. The Lord continues to look for people with corresponding faith in Him before He works mightily in their lives. May we be deeply challenged to echo this timeless prayer of the apostle Paul. May we truly experience God’s transforming power in our life.