How many times this year has it happened?
Has it disrupted your plans?
Power outages!
Gary asked me this morning if I knew the power had gone out during the night or early morning. I didn’t realize it. Usually I wake up if the air purifier fan stops running. This time I was sleeping deeply and didn’t know we had no electricity.
When the power goes out, do you still go in a room and automatically reach to turn on the lights? Or start to prepare a meal, then realize you can’t?
We are so accustomed to having electric power at our fingertips and on demand that when it isn’t there, we continue to expect it out of habit.
According to Entergy, “severe weather,” “storms,” and “lightning” are the most common reasons we lose power.
The ice storm we had caused lots of damage that is still affecting power lines as more limbs drop. Actually, when you think about it, it’s pretty amazing we don’t lose electricity more than we do. Here are some causes of outages: ice storms, high winds, lightning, flooding (high water damages “ground-level equipment and substations”), branches and trees that fall, animals like squirrels that “interfere with transformers and line equipment,” equipment aging and wearing out, vehicles running into power poles, and “extreme heat” causing high demand and overloads.
The longer the power is out, the more serious the situation becomes.
Have you felt like you have had a “power outage” in your spiritual life? Most of us have felt “powerless” at one time or another, even though we are Christians.
What causes these feelings? What is causing your feeling of spiritual power outage?
First, we have to realize that our “feelings” and spiritual reality through faith is not the same. Feelings and faith are connected, but faith calls us to realize that God is true to His Word and unchanging despite how we “feel.” If He says He will be with us, He will; even though we may not “feel” like He is. Our emotions change. God doesn’t. In our weakness, God can act! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Our faith is powerful because of Who we have faith in! Not the amount of faith we have or “feel.”
Matthew 17:20 tells us that Jesus said, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Second, we need to know God personally and have His Word deeply ingrained in our lives and minds and souls! Know His promises!
Hebrews 13:5 says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Believe what God says! Live His Word!
God can use our feelings of helplessness to bring us to a deeper relationship with Him and grow our faith.
Let Him!
