Who in their right mind decides to see how far they can pull a house?
We’ve all heard about feats of great physical strength. Some are pretty impressive, others just seem insane; and some are just flat out dangerous. Today we’re going to take a look at being strong, and learn an amazing strength secret that will change your life.
I know you want to get right to it, but first let me say “Welcome to Mornings with Bishop Robert,” you’re the reason for these short reflections on God’s word. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today makes you stronger, please like, subscribe and share it with a friend!
Let’s start out with the house. The Guinness Book of World Records actually has an record category called “Heaviest House Pulled By A Man.” It is held by Kevin Fast, a Lutheran Priest who lives in Canada. He pulled a 36 ton house a dozen meters in one minute.
Today’s verse says THE LORD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND GUARD YOU FROM THE EVIL ONE.
When God says HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU, He’s not talking about you pulling your house down the street. He’s talking about the strength to be “all in” and live for Him. That actually takes an amazing amount of strength, faith and trust. I believe that’s why this verse begins with THE LORD IS FAITHFUL. The reason we need to be reminded about that is because the things that God is calling us to do are impossible.
When you take a look at the first people that Jesus called to follow Him, they are not an awe-inspiring group. There’s a few uneducated commercial fishermen, a crooked tax collector, a couple of political zealots who wanted to overthrow the Roman government, and a few who’s backgrounds were so “impressive” that we have no solid idea what they were. Not a world-record-holding house puller on the list.
But if you look at the Book of Acts, these nobodies who were walking out their faith constantly had to convince people they were not superheros or gods! Some people even thought a couple of them were Zeus and Hermes, the chief of the Greek “gods” from Mount Olympus and his key speaker. The priest of the temple of Zeus even brought bulls to offer to them in sacrifice. You know why?
Because God — the true God — was working signs, wonders and miracles through them. The sick were being healed and demons were being cast out. And I’m not talking about someone getting healed of a cold or a headache. I’m talking about a man crippled and lame from birth, he had never walked; and he got healed by a WORD from Paul. God’s power was touching and healing so many people that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by and they would be healed.
This is GOD’S GRACE at work in the lives of His people. This is God’s empowerment to go beyond our ability to and operate in His supernaturally, empowered ability.
What do you read in the Scriptures that would lead you to believe that God would send you into the world to do the POSSIBLE?
THE LORD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND GUARD YOU FROM THE EVIL ONE
I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, the glove can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. Followers of Jesus are just gloves. As we yield to Christ and obey Him in faith, it is the Holy Spirit in us, the hand, who does the work. We must make room for the hand so that every finger in the glove is “all in” and the glove is filled.
You and I can be used by God to things we could never imagine; things well beyond our own puny strength. Let’s let God bring us to the place where our prayers are writing checks our personal abilities can’t cash — only a FAITHFUL GOD can.
THAT’S amazing strength. And the secret to accessing it is yielding to Him. You can be an empty glove, or you can be filled; and the decision of whether or not to surrender you will and step out in faith makes all the difference.
So what step of faith is He calling YOU to take today?
THE LORD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND GUARD YOU FROM THE EVIL ONE
