Power From on High

So many of God’s people are tired to the point of exhaustion. Following Jesus is about going against the flow. That’s hard work. We face a lot of resistance. But God wants to renew your strength in the most powerful way.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that I myself don’t have the power I need to live the life God wants me to live. Have you noticed that too? We try . . . and we fail. 

What we need is power from on high. And that’s exactly what Jesus has in mind.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will do what I command. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you” (John 14:15–17).

So just before He was crucified, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send them another helper, another counsellor, another advocate, another comforter . . . just like Him.

And after He’d risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven, He did just that. The Holy Spirit fell on this hapless gaggle of fishermen, tax collectors, and the like. And you name it, they did it: the preaching, the miracles, the thousands who came to Christ . . . but how? Well, they’d received power from above—the very same power that’s available to you and me, here and now.

So why is it, you have to ask yourself, that we keep on trying to do it all in our own strength?

Remember Jesus’s promise to you: “If you love me, you will do what I command. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever.”

Life Application Questions

• Do you feel as though you’re swimming against the tide as you follow Jesus? What kinds of resistance do you face as you live out your faith each day?
• Are there particular times or moments in the week when you feel worn down or worn out? Is there a pattern you can identify?  
• Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to those who followed Him. The same power that filled His early disciples is also available to you! Ask God to remind you of this truth in moments when you feel sapped of strength. 
• Spend some time in prayer, asking the Lord to fill you with His Spirit’s presence and power. Ask that He would enable you to live in His power, not your own.