Staying Plugged in to God’s Power

 

god's powerGod’s power is the source of our strength, so what happens when we get unplugged? Bronlynn shares her recent experience with a heat wave and how it reminded her of the need to stay plugged in to the Lord.

“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

We recently experienced a severe wind storm called a derecho and were without power for almost three days. Temperatures in the 90’s and 100’s made the situation even more uncomfortable.

I did not handle those three days too well. I was thankful for the generator giving us fans and refrigeration. I also had the option of going to my parents’ apartment to stay cool. But one thing I did not do was to stay plugged in to God’s power. I was hot and irritable. I was frustrated that couldn’t be of more help. I didn’t feel like reading Scripture or praying, other than sending up prayers for power to be restored and thanking God for a wonderful husband and a generator.

Without electricity our modern lives come to a halt–no refrigeration, no email, no cable TV, no air or heat, sometimes no water, and no Facebook! In order to benefit from electricity we must be plugged in through electrical wiring. Otherwise the power is useless. But what a blessing that power is when we are connected.

Without staying plugged in to God’s power, through His Word and communication with Him, I lose important blessings as well, such as strength for difficult situations, a peaceful, positive attitude, patience, and less anxiety and stress. I didn’t experience many of those blessings because I didn’t maintain an ongoing connection with my power source.

Living with pain and problems is a continual test and life in general brings many additional trials. I can only survive by God’s power and strength, not my own. But I must stay plugged in to Him to benefit. I imagine there will be plenty of other opportunities for me to practice what I have learned. I hope the next time I’m faced with such a difficulty, I will stay connected with God whether I feel like it or not. I also hope and pray that it will be awhile before God tests me with lack of power in the summer heat!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are my source of strength and power. Give me a willing and obedient spirit to maintain my connection with You, especially through the difficult times. Amen.

About the author:
Bronlynn Spindler lives in VA and is blessed to have the support and encouragement of a wonderful husband and three grown daughters. God’s grace and strength have brought her through thyroid cancer and continue to sustain her through ongoing back pain, depression, headaches, multiple sensitivities, eye pain, and fibromyalgia. You may view her blog of devotionals at http://www.aplaceofsprings57.blogspot.com.

Have you had difficult situations when you have not stayed plugged in to God’s power? How do you motivate yourself to maintain that connection?

Chris Tomlin sings, “Our God.” This is one of those moments to take your hands off the keyboard and just sit back and be refreshed. If you don’t see a video, it may be because you are reading this in your email in-box. Just click the title of the devotional to watch it at the web page.