POWER is something many of us take for granted. For example, we give little thought to the electrical power that gives us light and heat or to the convenience of plugging in any electrical appliance we may own. Only an unexpected power outage brings home to us that without power, man’s cities would practically shut down. Most of the electricity on which we depend comes indirectly from the earth’s most reliable power source—the sun. Every second this solar reactor consumes five million tons of nuclear fuel, showering the earth with life-sustaining energy. Where does all this solar power come from? Who constructed this celestial power plant? It is the evidence of the power of God.
Referring to him, Psalm 74:16 says: “You yourself prepared the luminary, even the sun.” Yes, God is the ultimate Source of all power, just as he is the Source of all life. (Psalm 36:9) Never should we take the power of God for granted.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds us to look up at the heavenly bodies, such as the sun and the stars, and meditate on how they came into existence. “Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing.”—Isaiah 40:26; Jeremiah 32:17.
How do we benefit from manifestations of the power of God?
Since God is vigorous in power, we can rest assured that the sun will continue to provide us the light and heat on which our lives depend. However, we rely on the power of God for much more than our basic physical needs. Our redemption from sin and death, our hope for the future, and our trust in God are all inseparably linked to his exercise of power. (Psalm 28:6-9; Isaiah 50:2) The Bible abounds with examples that testify to God’s power to create and redeem, to save his people and destroy his enemies.
The Power of God Is Manifested in Creation
The apostle Paul explained that our Creator’s ‘eternal power can be clearly perceived in the things he has made.’ (Romans 1:20) Centuries earlier, the psalmist David, who as a shepherd must frequently have looked up at the night sky, perceived the grandeur of the universe and the might of its Maker.
He wrote: “When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man that you keep him in mind, and the son of earthling man that you take care of him?” (Psalm 8:3, 4) Despite his limited knowledge of celestial bodies, David understood that he was very insignificant in comparison with the Creator of our vast universe.
Today, astronomers know much more about the immensity of the universe and the power that sustains it. For example, they tell us that our sun every second emits energy equivalent to the explosion of 100,000 million megatons of TNT. A very small fraction of that energy reaches the earth; yet that is enough to sustain all life on our planet. Still, our sun is by no means the most powerful star in the heavens.
Some stars radiate in only one second the energy that the sun radiates in a whole day. Imagine, then, the power at the disposal of the One who created such heavenly bodies! Elihu rightfully exclaimed: “As for the Almighty, we have not found him out; he is exalted in power.”—Job 37:23.
If we ‘search for the power of God’ as David did, we will see evidence of his power everywhere—in wind and waves, in thunder and lightning, in mighty rivers and majestic mountains. (Psalm 111:2; Job 26:12-14) Furthermore, as God reminded Job, animals testify to His strength.
Among these is Behemoth, or the hippopotamus. God told Job: “Its power is in its hips . . . Its strong bones are like wrought-iron rods.” (Job 40:15-18) The fearsome power of the wild bull was also well-known in Bible times, and David prayed that he might be spared from “the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of wild bulls.”—Psalm 22:21; Job 39:9-11.
We have every reason, then, to trust in God’s protection. He always uses his power for good and in harmony with his other qualities—justice, wisdom, and love. (Job 37:23; Jeremiah 10:12) While powerful men frequently trample on the poor and humble ones for selfish gain, God ‘raises up the lowly one from the very dust’ and ‘abounds in power to save.’ (Psalm 113:5-7; Isaiah 63:1) As Mary, the modest and unassuming mother of Jesus, understood, “the powerful One” unselfishly exercises his power in behalf of those who fear him, humbling the haughty and exalting the lowly.—Luke 1:46-53.
In the near future, there will come a time when every one of us will need to trust the power of God in a special way. Satan the Devil will launch an attack on God’s people, who will appear to be unprotected. (Ezekiel 38:14-16) God will then manifest his great power in our behalf, and everyone will have to know that he is God. (Ezekiel 38:21-23) Now is the time to build our faith and confidence in God the Almighty so that we will not waver at that crucial time.
Without doubt, there are many reasons for meditating on God’s power. As we contemplate his works, we are humbly moved to praise our Grand Creator and give thanks that he uses his power in such a wise and loving way. We will never be intimidated if we trust in the power of God. Our faith in his promises will be unwavering. Remember, though, that we have been created in the image of God. Hence, we also have power—albeit to a limited extent.
Please support us to reach others by sharing this article