Our God Is A Powerful God

Psalm 62:11 tells us power belongs to God.

Not only is He a powerful God, but He is an omnipotent God.  He has all power.  Omnipotent means that God is almighty, unlimited and infinite in His power.

Consider the following three verses, written by men in the Bible who understood the omnipotence of God.

2 Chronicles 20:6 - And he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

Jeremiah 32:17, 27 – Ah, Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You. … Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?

Daniel 2:20 - Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

What would these three men, Jehoshaphat (king of Judah), Jeremiah and Daniel (Old Testament prophets) agree on, concerning the power of God?

God holds all power in His hand

No one has power to stand against God

Nothing is too difficult for God

Reading these three statements, we would assume that these men lived bold and victorious lives, walking in the power of God, experiencing the power of God in their daily life, and conquering every obstacle, both physical and spiritual.  But let’s look a bit closer at the circumstances and context in which they made these statements.

Consider Jehoshaphat’s statement:

2 Chronicles 20:6 - And he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.  In the legacy of “good king/bad king” he is a shining example of a good king.  At the beginning of his reign, 2 Chronicles 17:3-4 tells us The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.  He did many good things for the land, including tearing down the idolatrous high places of worship, and sending out his officials, along with the Levites, to instruct the common people in the law of the Lord (imagine a president doing that today!).

At one point in his reign, the Moabites and the Ammonites allied themselves against Judah, and it is in this situation Jehoshaphat makes his statement of confidence in the power of God.  A great army is coming, ready to destroy the people of Judah, and Jehoshaphat prays to the God He knows holds all power in His hand.

What is the outcome?

God’s Spirit speaks through Jahaziel:  “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. … You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you. … Put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established.  Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.”  (2 Chronicles 20: 15,17,20)

And indeed, God does rescue Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah.  He causes their enemies to essentially destroy themselves, and all Judah had to do was come in and take the spoil

God’s power was displayed in victory!

Jehoshaphat saw the power of God, as his enemies were defeated, and the result was exactly what He desired.

Consider Jeremiah’s statement:

Jeremiah 32:17, 27 – Ah, Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for You. … Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?

At the time he wrote these words, Jeremiah was in prison.  He had been prophesying for many years that God’s judgment was coming on the land, and that they should not fight against the Babylonians, but surrender to them.  His life was one of unpopularity, rejection and mockery.  Judah was filled with idolatry, paganism, and had turned away from God.  At this point in his ministry, the king had physically shut Jeremiah up in the court of the guard, because he wanted to shut Jeremiah’s mouth from proclaiming the coming doom.  Babylon was literally knocking at the door, already besieging the city of Jerusalem.

Let’s look at the context of Jeremiah’s statement.  God has just spoken to Jeremiah, telling him to purchase a field.  Isn’t this a strange command?  The land is getting ready to be taken over by Babylon, and Jeremiah knows that he will either be killed or taken captive.  Yet in the midst of all the bad news, God says, buy a field.  God is giving Jeremiah a tangible hope of restoration. 

By purchasing the field, Jeremiah is declaring that he truly believes that nothing is too difficult for God, and no matter what today looks like, tomorrow has the promise of hope.  In the worst of circumstances, when the outcome has already been decided, and it’s not looking very good, Jeremiah retains confidence in the power of God.  In the face of accepting that God will not deliver Judah, that they will be overcome by the enemy and be killed or taken captive, he buys a field in faith, confidently declares that nothing is too difficult for God.  And as Jeremiah bows to the power of God, who can do all things, he also bows to the sovereignty of God, and His right and authority to discipline His children for their idolatry.

God’s power was displayed in defeat!

Jeremiah saw the power of God, as his enemies defeated him, and the result was exactly the opposite of what he would have desired.

Consider Daniel’s statement:

Daniel 2:20 - Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

Daniel is one of the Judean people taken captive by Babylon.  What Jeremiah prophesied came true in Daniel’s life.  He was just a teenager and his life was completely turned upside down.  He was removed from his family, his friends, and everything he held dear and familiar.  He was thrust into a foreign country, with an unknown language, pagan gods, strange food, and unfamiliar customs.  

Yet what is his confidence?  What is his hope?  What does he still know to be true?  Wisdom and power belong to God.

Even though God has allowed something in his life that he would never choose, having placed a challenge and a path before him that is hard and uncertain, Daniel retains his conviction that God is all powerful and can do anything He pleases.  Daniel understood that even though it appeared a heathen king had currently held power over his life, that in reality, God was in control.  His faith was such that he stood against the ungodly influences and maintained a righteous and committed life in the midst of very difficult circumstances.

God’s power was displayed in sustaining Daniel through the hardship!

Daniel saw the power of God, and his circumstances could not defeat him, even though they were not what he would have chosen or desired to experience.

What can we learn?

So often we pray to God to deliver us.  We know that He is a powerful God, and believe that He can do anything, fix any circumstance, change any outcome.  But what happens to our faith in His omnipotence when He fails to do what we ask? 

When we are NOT rescued? 

When we are NOT delivered? 

When it becomes clear that the outcome is going to be exactly what we do NOT want?

Do we lose hope?

Do we start to believe that God is not so powerful after all, for if He was, He would fix it?

Do we give in to what culture says, because God has put us in a difficult situation?

To know that God is all powerful in the face of circumstances or events that seem to dictate He is not takes a strong faith.  And we must also rely on what else we know about God.

The limitless power of God enables Him to accomplish all He wills.  Therefore, it is of great comfort to know that:

What God wills is always blameless and good.

Psalm 18:30 – As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 85:12 – Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce.

Psalm 106:1 – Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

We must remember two basic concepts:

God has all power, and no one can hinder His plans.

His will is always best.

When we say “God is all-powerful” and then worry and become anxious, what does that mean?

It means we do not truly believe that He is all-powerful nor all-loving, nor do we truly believe that His will is always best.

God’s power is not dependent on whether or not He chooses to act the way we desire Him to act.  We must maintain our confidence and hope despite the circumstance.  We cannot put God in the box of our human understanding. 

God is sovereign – He sees the end from the beginning, and He is working out His plan and purpose for His glory.

God is love – and everything He does is Him acting like Himself, which can only be in love.

God is powerful – and His power is displayed whether we are victorious, or defeated, or sustained in the middle of it all.

God is indeed able to rescue us from any situation.  He has the power to overturn any circumstance, change the mind and heart of any man and impose His will on any condition.  But we must remember that His power works in harmony with His sovereign will, His holiness, His perfect love, and every other attribute He possesses.  If He chooses not to act to rescue us, don’t buy the enemy’s lie that He is unable to do so!

God’s power is displayed in our life in the mundane and in the terrible…when we are experiencing victory, or crushed by defeat.  His Spirit is giving us life and breath and working in and through us to accomplish the goal of our lives:  to be formed into the image of Christ. 

Don’t be discouraged when you can’t see it.  That’s why they call it “faith.”

Isaiah 41:10 – Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.