Connecting to the Power of God

The word translated “miracles” refers to the supernatural power of God displayed in the works of Jesus. The emphasis here is on the divine energy that flows through the miraculous acts. The same word in the Greek language is where we get our English word “dynamite.”

Imagine the surge of electrical power that lights up cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Consider the rocket power it takes to send a astronaut into outer space. Hydro, solar, wind, and nuclear are other forms of power we have available to us today. I recently visited the Hoover Dam in Nevada. The hydroelectric power generated there is stunning. 

Some people spend a lot of time and energy seeking power. Business owners talk about “empowering their people” while motivational speakers encourage us to get “personal power.” Senators and Congressmen walk the corridors of power in Washington DC in search of “political power.” A “power of attorney” transfers power from one person to another. Some people believe that powerful people have a lot of money and a corner office.

None of that compares to the power of God. God’s word is so powerful that He says, “Let there be light!” and there was. Later in the Old Testament, God demonstrated His power through the miracle-working ministry of Elijah the prophet. For example, First Kings chapter 18 records the time when Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, a popular false god, in a fiery showdown on Mount Carmel. Humanly speaking, the prophet of God was outnumbered 450 to 1. The odds were not in Elijah’s favor, except for the fact that he served a powerful God. 

One day Jesus was walking through a large crowd of people when a woman reached out and touched the hem of His garment. A blood disease had plagued her for twelve years. Even her doctors didn’t know what to do. But on that day, she was instantaneously healed. The Bible says, “And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’” (Mark 5:30). What a powerful moment it was for Jesus, the woman, and the disciples.

Of course, the miracle of all miracles is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It took nothing less than the power of God to raise His Son and our Savior from the grave. And get this: the Bible says that the same power indwells every believer in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:11 says it this way,

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Where do you need the power of God in your life? Too many Christians know about the power of God but do not experience it in their daily lives. Nothing is more tragic than a prosperous church filled with spiritually powerless people. It reminds me of a time in church history known as the “Dark Ages” when the power of God seemed to vanish from the church.