Lately...

...God has been teaching me about his power. During Easter, he reminded me that his son didn't suffer unbelievable pain and anguish just to die. No, he suffered in order to rise again, to overcome death, to save us from our sin. That's power.

And further, he's opened my eyes through the book Blessed Child by Ted Dekker. He's been reminding me that his gift after his resurrection was his Holy Spirit. He gave his Holy Spirit that we would do greater things than he did. Greater things than giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, bringing people back to life? Yes, that's what he said. It seems like a crazy claim - no one can do those miraculous things...on their own. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says that we can and will.

So why aren't we seeing this miraculous power more often? Even before receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, God gave us free will. He allows us to choose - every decision, every day is ours to choose light and life or darkness and death. I don't know about you, but I more often choose to serve myself than my Creator. I choose darkness and death instead. And it's breaking my heart. And it's even more breaking his heart. It says in James that "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us" (4:5). He has made his spirit to dwell within us, to fill us with his power in order that we will bring light to the world, and yet I continually choose my own way, my own path. When I don't follow his Spirit, he can't work his power through me.

As he was showing me all of this beautiful, hard truth, he gave me the most precious vision of his power. I woke up last week to light. It was like just outside my vision, just past the edges, there was real light shining in. Hope took residence in my soul, and I was full of joy and full of his Spirit. He showed me what it's like when I choose him.

(I'm not saying it's easy and shiny all the time walking with God. He doesn't ever tell us this. He tells us we have to die to ourselves, turn our back on our earthly desires. But like Dumbledore says in Harry Potter, there comes a time when you must choose between what is right and what is easy. And God certainly does give us hope and joy and peace and promise in the midst of the struggle and the pain.)

There is real power in this world to change things for the good. That power resides in Jesus Christ. When we choose him and follow where he's going, we will truly see what the early church saw - greater things than even Jesus did through the power of his Holy Spirit. So...where is his Spirit leading you?


The sunrise on my way to school last week.