Current news often overwhelms me. How do I pray for the flood victims in BC, and the lawlessness in random shootings, and for severely persecuted Christians in the Middle East and other places, and for people dying with various ailments, and governments that seem oblivious to real needs, and for other Christians who feel just as helpless as I do? Do our tiny prayers make any difference to such huge problems?
This morning, my new Thompson Chain-Reference Bible opened to verses on Christ’s POWER. Even the thought of what He can do lifted my spirits. Space is too short to look at every verse, but here are some of them.
First, Jesus Christ is God. Genesis tells of His power to create because when “God said” that Word that came out of Him was the Person of Jesus, later described to us as His only Son:
John 1:1–3; 14. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made . . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
These verses alone fill me with awe and confidence. If anything is to be done for the messes in our world, He has the power to do it. All He needs to do is speak and amazing things happen!
I know from Scripture and my own experience that Jesus has power to save people from sin. I’ve seen His transforming ability. People who once cursed Him now praise Him. People who were once greedy are now generous. Those who once hated God now love Him.
Psalm 98:2. “The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.”
Titus 2:11–12. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”
Jesus also has authority. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and Paul wrote: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Someday all who resist Him now will bow knowing who He is and realizing His power.
He also has power over nature. He changed water into wine, and “even the winds and water obey Him.” He healed all manner of sickness, cast out demons, raised the dead. Acts 10:38 says God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power and “He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
The greatest evidence of His power was at the Cross. He died for our sin, but He did not stay dead. He “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.” Hebrews 1:3 says: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. For many, Jesus Christ is just a curse word, not a powerful person. Some mock Him. Some twist what the Bible says and change His identity to whatever suits them. Yet as I focus on Jesus, I sense His power transforming my concerns for this world into prayers and then into words of praise for I know that Jesus has the power to bring all things into submission to Himself. Keeping my eyes on Jesus is the best and only lasting escape from all discouragement and despair.
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