Humans in general, perhaps even we as Christians sometimes, underestimate God’s power. On one hand, we underestimate the power God has to judge. Too many people sin because they believe they can get away with it and they don’t fear God’s power to judge. I suspect that you and I would sin less if we feared God more than, perhaps, we do.
On the other side of the coin of God’s power, I think we would worry less if we understood better the power of God. Nothing has the ability to stop God from doing what God desires to do. Castro might overrule his umpire’s calls but no one can overrule God, not even Satan. So we would worry less and have a stronger faith if we were constantly reminded that “God’s got this.”
Let’s study a psalm together, written by Asaph, about the “Wondrous Power of God…”
GOD’S POWER IS EVERYWHERE – 76:1-3:
God is present all over the country, from north to south, including the capital city and the “church” building – the meeting place. It was from there, the meeting place, where God broke the flaming arrows. He broke the shield. He broke the sword. He broke the weapons of war. God is all-powerful.
God’s power is everywhere. We are never out of reach of God’s power to answer our prayers. David said in Psalm 139:7-8: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.”
Speaking of Sheol, the world of the unseen spirits, that is the place the spirit of Jesus went once He was crucified. But God the Father’s power reaches even into the unseen world. In fulfillment of Psalm 16, God reached into the unseen world and He brought His Son back into the physical world. God did not abandon His Son’s soul to hades nor did God allow His Son’s body to undergo decay (Acts 2:27).
God’s wondrous power is everywhere!
GOD’S POWER MUST BE FEARED – 76:4-7:
Through the simple rebuke of God, He causes the cavalry to be cast into the deep sleep. For this reason, man’s response is to fear God. Asaph is emphatic: “You, even You, are to be feared.” Why? Because when God is angry, no one can stand in His presence.
I remind you of the exodus, when Moses led half a million Israelites out of slavery in Egypt (Exo. 14). We all know the story… God told Moses to hold his staff out over the water, which Moses did. But God’s power is to be feared! The Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea (14:23). God caused the army of Egypt to become confused and caused their chariot wheels to swerve and the chariots drove with difficulty.
Then God told Moses to stretch his hand out over the Red Sea again and the sea returned to its normal state and the waters covered the chariots and the horsemen, the entire army, and not one of them remained (14:26-28). Then Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
The wondrous power of God is to be feared. Some forty-years later, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan still feared the power of Jehovah God because they remembered what they had heard about God, Israel, the Red Sea, and the Egyptian army (Joshua 2:9-10).
God’s power is to be feared. God does not tell jokes. He utters commands. He does not make suggestions. He issues threats. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).
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God’s power is to be feared.
HUMILITY IS MAN’S RESPONSE TO GOD’S POWER – 76:8-9:
Judgment from God was heard; He judges from heaven and people heard His judgment. So, the earth feared and was still. Even the earth feared God and stood still in His presence. When God arose to judge, to save all the humble of the earth. What should man’s response be to God’s power? Humility.
When Satan destroyed all Job’s flocks and cattle and murdered Job’s children, Job responded with humility to the power of God: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21).
When God appeared on the scene, he throws – I have counted – 63 questions at Job to show Job, to impress on Job, that Job does not know diddly. When God illustrates His power, His wondrous power to Job, Job responds the only way a human really can respond: with humility. “I am insignificant,” Job says in 40:4. “What can I reply to you?” Job said, “I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
God’s power demands humility on our part. We are, like Job says, insignificant. The apostle Peter tells Christians, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 4:6).
God’s wondrous power demands humility on our part. Be humble enough to do what He says. Be humble enough to trust what He says.
GOD’S POWER DEMANDS ALLEGIANCE FROM US – 76:10-12:
What should man’s response be to God’s power? Swearing an oath of allegiance to the God of heaven. Make vows to the Lord our God and then fulfill those vows. Be faithful, committed, and dedicated to Jehovah God.
There really is no other response to God’s power than to submit to Him. In Matthew 14, we have the occasion where Jesus sends His apostles across the Sea of Galilee when a storm begins. That’s the occasion when Jesus walks to them on the water. When Jesus calms the storm, the text says those who were in the boat worshipped Jesus, confessing, “You are certainly God’s Son!” (Matt. 14:33).
When we see expressions of God’s power, it demands allegiance from us. He has the power to answer our prayers. He has the power to resolve our worries and anxieties. He has the power to save us. He has the power to condemn us. That’s why we owe Him our allegiance.
Let us offer to God acceptable service with reverence and awe.
Paul Holland
