Promise for Today - Void of Power

Guest author, Christopher Glotzbach

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But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5

I was heading over to our rentals to mow. I normally mow with our zero-turn, then hop off to weed eat. But our new tenants have been parking in a way where I have to weed eat a pretty large section. So this time I thought ahead and decided to bring along my push mower. Only problem — I hadn’t used it all year, and it’s battery-operated... And I couldn’t find the batteries. I looked and looked… and looked.
Nothing.

It’s frustrating when things are void of power - and more than frustrating, I would argue, worthless - useless. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be useless. But the reality is, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we are. The Holy Spirit gives us power. Scripture reminds us in 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.”

Thankfully, I eventually found the batteries, and the mower fired right up. But you know what? Our tenants were gone, so I didn’t have to use it. So it came with a teachable moment and a reminder that to be useful in the Kingdom, I need to be tethered to the Holy Spirit.

In John 15:5, Jesus reminds us — apart from Him, we can do nothing.

What about you? Where are areas in your life where it might appear to be operating well, but it is void of the Power?

 
My prayer today:

God, 

         Thank You for the reminder that every good and perfect gift is from You. Forgive me when I walk in the thought that I can rely on my own strength, and help me rest in the peace that everything I need — You have. Help me rely not on my own strength, but in the strength that You give through the Holy Spirit. What a beautiful gift that is. Help me to continue to run after You — for You are worthy of it all.
Amen.

Reminder - Useless

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

1st Corinthians 15:58 NLT

Have you ever felt useless? I know I have... And it's always predicated on what I have or haven't been able to do. And here lately, it seems there's so much more of "haven't been able to do" than "have". It can be frustrating, to say the least, and even devastating, at times... but that's the Truth of it when I look to ME instead of to GOD.

You see, the Truth is God didn't design us to be useless. He didn't form us in our mothers' wombs and declare, "You will be useless." He has given us gifts and equipped us with skills to help build His kingdom, to fulfill His purpose IN and FOR our lives. 

Psalm 139 tells us God fashioned all the days of our lives BEFORE there were ANY days of our lives. How could ANYTHING God does be considered useless? 

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Prayer:

Father,
          Wake us up to Your plan and purpose for each and every day of our lives. We want to be used by You - for You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Doing It All

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1st Corinthians 15:58 NLT

Nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. The Message bible reads that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. Nothing. Being faithful - to God. To your wife/husband. To your children. To your employer. Changing diapers, dusting, or counting the offering. Whether you're parking cars, cleaning the potty, or preaching. Doing it all, we may wonder - "What am I doing here? Why am I doing this? Why is this my lot in life?"

Sometimes it's about poor life choices, but sometimes it's just about learning the life of Christ; developing His character in us. But ALWAYS, it's about finding Him in the moment. And doing it all for Him. In Ephesians 2:7-10, the Message bible reads, Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. Maybe it's not about the work. Maybe it's about the people or person we will meet and influence WHILE we're doing it all.

So, how DO we do it? Philippians 2:14-16, the Apostle Paul writing from prison to the church at Philippi, Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. 

Doing it all through Christ who gives me strength, Philippians 4:13. 

Colossians 3:15-17 instructs us to, Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Or as I learned it from the King James... whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus...

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to recognize and understand that You did not call us to do everything because we can't do everything. But You did call us and You did line out work that we are to do. And we're to do all that You've given us to do with the strength You provide us, with the wisdom You've given us and without murmuring and complaining. Help us to do it all in the Name of our Lord Jesus. Amen

* Useless

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1st Corinthians 15:58 NLT

Have you ever felt useless? I know I have... And it's always predicated on what I have or haven't been able to do. And here lately, it seems there's so much more of "haven't been able to do" than "have". It can be frustrating, to say the least, and even devastating, at times... but that's the Truth of it when I look to ME instead of to GOD.

You see, the Truth is God didn't design us to be useless. He didn't form us in our mothers' wombs and declare, "You will be useless." He has given us gifts and equipped us with skills to help build His kingdom, to fulfill His purpose IN and FOR our lives. 

Psalm 139 tells us God fashioned all the days of our lives BEFORE there were ANY days of our lives. How could ANYTHING God does be considered useless? 

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Prayer:

Father,
          Wake us up to Your plan and purpose for each and every day of our lives. We want to be used by You - for You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen