“Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.”
–2 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)
Stephanie and I went to McDonald’s for dinner last Saturday. While that might seem like an awfully mundane choice for our devotion, it helped me to look at some old truths from a different perspective. That was because something rather out-of-the-ordinary happened, but more about that later.
My wife and I had just finished at the gym, where we had done our time on the exercise bikes. We try to work out an hour a day for 6 days each week, but we had missed a day. No pun intended, but because of that we had to backpedal and make up that time.
Of course we needed a reward after that, so we went to McDonald’s. We enjoy going there with friends, but the two of us like to go out somewhere on a weekly basis to be by ourselves. We both enjoy being together, and we have a great time during our spontaneous little dates. However, we weren’t ready for the truths we would discover on this particular dinner date.
As we were eating in our booth, we heard a commotion. Several men at tables around the restaurant all shouted at once. Trying to figure out what might be happening, we chalked it up to a football game, since it’s not too long until the Super Bowl. Then, deciding to overlook what we had heard, we went back to our meal. After all, everything seemed fine to us.
We had just finished our dinner when we realized the entire restaurant had become very quiet. It was as though all our fellow diners had suddenly left the restaurant. Moments later, the manager came over to our table. We offhandedly asked what the ruckus was about. We learned there had been a power failure, and all the lights had gone out for a short time. According to the manager, “The darkness scared the other customers off.”
Now if you’re a new reader of this blog, I can hear you asking, “Why on earth wouldn’t you notice the lights going out?”
I could tell you that we only had eyes for each other, and that would be true. But there’s another reason: neither my wife nor I can see anything. I don’t want to get into that subject though, except to say that it cuts down on the utility bills.
All joking aside, however, humanity is blind for the most part when it comes to the light of the world. In other words, we are faced with a power failure of massive proportions. The result can be seen in the emptiness that pervades our society, which has led to personal darkness in many cases.
Let me ask you a stupid question: Have you ever tried to find your way around in a dark room? “Of course I have,” you say. “I ended up with some painful bumps and bruises. What’s that got to do with anything?” Well, all of us are stumbling around in this world, but none of us has to walk in darkness.
To see how the true light separates the whiner from the real winner, let’s go back to our pilgrimage to McDonald’s. Just as you might guess, the power was soon restored there, but that left me with a question: What about the power in our lives? Are we really experiencing the fullness of life that God longs to bless us with?
My answer would be, “Of course not”, since God’s power is limitless. But the good news is that just as the restaurant’s lights came back on, the power can be restored in your life and mine. But this involves the kind of surrender which means much more than a walk down the aisle to the church altar 20 years ago. Coming to God in humility each day means realizing that I am weak, but I can face every obstacle through His strength.
Just as McDonald’s had to call on the power company, you and I need to call on Jesus all the time. The Bible tells us that He is the one who has all power. But calling out to Jesus means admitting my need, which translates to humility.
It is sad to say that humility has mostly become a foreign word in our culture, but meekness before God holds the key to real transformation for us. Humility is God’s means of currency, and it allows us to trade something old and worn-out for something new and vital.
I don’t know about you, but I love exchanging unwanted gifts for something new. It is even better when it comes to the creator of the universe, for after we have admitted our need, we can exchange our bumblings for His unlimited strength.
God’s Word tells all of us that we can become extraordinary people, but how can we do this? it might seem slow, but coming to the One who is extraordinary on a daily basis can equip all of us to live with the power that Jesus desperately wants to give us. But in order to really live in His light, we need to become tired of darkness, once and for all.
While none of us are perfect, we must stay in the scriptures, while confessing our weaknesses and shortcomings. Why not start today, and live life walking in His power?
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870.
Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Tuesday night Bible study. These studies are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 712-432-6498. When prompted, press 1 for live chat rooms, and we’ll be waiting in room 31. You can press pound to bypass our friend Sharon’s intro message once you’ve entered room 31. We hope to talk with you soon!
If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.