Dynamic life

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

The great Scottish preacher George Jeffrey once told of his visit to Niagara Falls. He said that even more impressive than the great flow of Niagara’s mighty waters was the small power station located at the edge of the falls. In this quiet place, one heard only the faint hum of the dynamos. No more than a trickle of Niagara’s immense waters had been harnessed, and yet this little station supplied light and power for miles around.

God’s power is like Niagara Falls—incomprehensibly powerful. And each Christian is like that small power station—only the tiniest trickle of God’s immense power flows through us, and yet that trickle is more than enough to fill many lives with the light of hope and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have limits, but God’s power flowing through us is limitless—our Lord energizes us when we become exhausted. When we are tired of struggling with our children to keep them on the straight and narrow, the Holy Spirit gives us perseverance. When it seems pointless to keep on speaking against abortion or same-sex marriage, the Spirit renews our desire to proclaim God’s will. When we are fed up with trying to get our spouse to go to church with us, the Lord gives us reassurance that our efforts on God’s behalf are not in vain.

We are weak, but God’s power flowing through us is strong—strong enough to reach out to others in spite of our own shortcomings. God’s power can reach out to others through us even if we are shy, even if we are not well educated, even if we have a tendency to put our foot in our mouth. God’s words are powerful enough to force their way out past our uncertain tongues and stammering lips.

The Niagara power plant was filled with power because it was built right next to the Falls, and was continually in contact with the rushing waters. In order for you and me to be filled with God’s power, we must build our lives on Jesus; this means frequent prayer and regular time with His written words, preserved for us as the Bible. When we are in contact with our Lord every day His waters of life will flow through us, and Jesus promises: the water I give…will become…a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:14).