Without POWER!?!

After a very eventful summer and now that school is in session for most again, I am writing today about a subject that we all should regularly, seriously think about. My own experiences over the past few months and what has become a commonly shared experience with so many of late is that of being Without POWER!

Were you impacted by the record breaking “Derecho” that raged through the Midwest and mid-Atlantic region just two months ago today? That was a series of very intense thunderstorms, fueled by record breaking heat, that raced over a swath of 700 miles in only 12 hours, all the way from northern Indiana to the mid- Atlantic coast. These storms contained straight line winds equal to hurricane strength and leveled many established trees and structures along their path. At least 13 people were killed (amazing that it wasn’t many more) and hundreds of millions of people in several states were without power for days and even weeks, including many businesses. Much was lost as tree limbs and whole trees blew over and around, damaging properties everywhere. The lack of power also led to the loss of much stored food. Many, including myself, had to throw away things that without power went bad, after being stored for years! Millions were directly impacted, but the ripples of impact of this were felt around this country and the world!! This event helped remind us to understand how dependent we all have become upon electrical power. Many lessons can be learned when you are without power!

Living in those powerless, dark nights with only the heavenly lights should have helped many gain perspective! Some 21 days after this event, there was a man out west who lost his perspective on life. On July 20th, a terrible massacre occurred at a midnight screening of the new film, The Dark Knight Rises. An incredible 70 people were injured, 12 being found without power that very night, in that Aurora, Colorado theater. This became the greatest mass shooting massacre in American history and was even referred to as “a Virginia Tech for movie theaters.” The shooter in custody, James Holmes, had previously met with at least three psychiatric professionals at the University of Colorado, which proved to still not give him the power needed to overcome his problems and social maladjustment. Certainly, time will reveal more about the problems in the system there, as I have often written about.

The main point I want to make here, drawing especially from events as mentioned over the past couple of months, is how dependent we are today upon power and what that means on various levels. When you are weak or sick in body, you are without the power or strength needed to function. When you die, there is no power left in your body. Power is also important on a mental and emotional level. Room here does not now allow further discussion there. More important than any power is the spiritual power at the core of our being and necessary for having power in every other area of our lives. It is not something gained by desire alone, nor by adherance to some religious expression. Power with GOD comes from faith in His Word and yieldedness to HIM. 2 Timothy 3:5 warns that in the last days there will be people “having a form of godliness, but denying its power.” Are you living in a way that is really without true POWER? I see much of this outward, shallow power being lived out today. 😟

Friend, you do not want to be without POWER! Your CREATOR has ALL POWER and you had best accept His Plan of Salvation through JESUS CHRIST!! JESUS Died, was Buried and Rose Again to save you from the penalty of your sins, that had left you without power (see Romans 5:6). Have you accepted JESUS CHRIST as your personal Savior? Are you living Without POWER!?!