Experiencing the Power of God
God’s Power is Not a Feeling – Part V

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When I read about God’s power that He makes available to us believers and then read that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), it makes me want to “feel” strong!

That is a normal desire for all believers. We are human and when circumstances confront us that cause pain, we hope to feel the power of God surging through us.

I am very seldom aware of God’s power flowing through me. When I reflect on times when God used me, I know His power was present and doing the work, but at the time it was not a feeling I had.

God’s ways are, indeed, not our ways and His ways are past finding out (Romans 11:33). The Hebrew writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words:

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. (Hebrews 10:35-39 NLT)

Do you understand the caution to anyone that is trying to “feel” their way along?

Our walk with Jesus starts with faith in Him to forgive our sins. Our walk with Jesus for the rest of our days is a journey by faith. Hebrews 10:35-39 tells us not to “throw away our confident trust in the Lord” when going through problems and reminds us that “patient endurance is what you need”. These verses are telling us to fight against the normal feelings of fear or inadequacy when we are face challenging situations.

It is so easy to cave to these feelings and jump into situations without faith that God’s power will be there when we need it. We want to “feel” powerful, strong, and wise enough to handle circumstances before we have to deal with them. but that is not the way God works. He wants us to prayerfully deal with our problems with a “confident trust” that He will supply all we need. The Hebrew writer challenges us to not “throw away our confident trust in the Lord”.

If we let fretting and worrying dominate our thoughts, then we make it clear that we have do not trust in the Lord. There is “great reward” for those who keep their trust in the Lord.

Father, You know the feelings I have when troubles come my way. Help me to keep my trust in You and walk in faith. In Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.