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Faith is Power
Andrea Lende • December 3, 2020
Matthew 9:28-29
Faith is Power
You can also listen to this devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Faith-is-Power-en9bcm
Matthew 9:28-29
“When He reached the house and went in, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord.”
“Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;”
There are six miracles of healing recorded in the ninth chapter of Matthew.
Huge miracles of healing.
A paralyzed man walked.
A debilitating twelve-year blood flow stopped.
A young girl was brought back to life.
Two blind men received their sight.
And a man unable to talk was given his speech.
Reading about all these miracles today inspires my heart to believe anything is possible in Jesus Christ.
Anything is possible but how is it possible?
Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed He had the power to give them back their sight.
They told Him they believed.
When He touched their eyes He said, “According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;”
It was their faith and belief in His power that facilitated the miracle.
What if we could truly live into this kind of belief?
What would happen if we believed without any doubt that Jesus can heal?
These were some questions that raised up in me as I read our passage today.
As those questions came to mind so did a couple of other scriptures.
In John 14:12 Jesus said, “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.”
This scripture amazes me, but then I wonder how can I do greater things than Jesus did?
In Luke 10:29 Jesus said, “Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in an way harm you.”
I can’t help but think if we fully understood the power that we have the right to operate in, we would be used by God in mightier ways.
I am challenged by our passage today.
I ask the Lord to show me more.
I ask the Lord to open my heart to an increased belief in His miracle working power.
Today I pray for more faith and belief in the power the Lord has granted me through His Son.
May you find your faith is stronger today than yesterday and that the Lord is continually working to expand your belief in His power through you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that belief in You and Your power is all important for a miracle. Thank You for the Wisdom in Your Word. Thank You for sending Your Son here to us so we could see You in Him. Thank You for being so present today as I read Your Word. Thank You for every miracle You have done in my life. Help me recount all the miracles You have done, Lord. As I remember all of Your blessings, my heart rejoices in You. I praise Your Name, Lord. I praise You and thank You for all You have done and for all You will do. I praise You for Your perfect plan. Guide me and lead me so I walk in Your ways, Lord. Keep me on the path that leads to You. Increase my faith and belief as I follow You, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM still the God of miracles and desire to bless all My children.
Response: Don’t let me miss You, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.