Power Belongs to God

Power Belongs to God

“God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.” Ps. 62:11.

God has spoken of it once, even twice, so that we will really take it to heart. Everything else that is called “power” is bound to fail. We can see this in the old covenant as well as in the new covenant. One lone man who possessed the power of God could slay a thousand men who were strong in themselves.

Moses was the meekest man on earth. He did not rely on any power in himself. Yet together with God he was invincible. However, Korah and his men, who thought that they also were strong, went down alive to the kingdom of the dead when God revealed His power through Moses.

All those who were God-fearing and had fellowship with God in the old covenant revealed this tremendous power of God. In Hebrews 11:32 we read, “For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets.” God’s mighty arm was revealed through goodness and severity, and through the prayers of God-fearing men and women who had intimate fellowship with Him. Their enemies became His enemies, and their friends, His friends.

No one revealed the Father’s power as much as Jesus did in the new covenant. By this power He received authority over all flesh and glorified the Father’s name by finishing the work He was given to do. John 17:2-4. He did nothing of Himself, but He did only what He heard from His Father, and only in the power He received from Him.

Before Pentecost the disciples were constantly put to shame because of the things they said and did in their own strength. Therefore they were told to wait with becoming His witnesses until they were endued with power from on high. Through this power their Lord and Master was glorified, not they.

Paul feared that his own strength would gain the upper hand in his deeds and words, in which case he would have lost. However, in his lowliness and weakness concerning his own strength, he was strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and could overcome; he could be even more than a conqueror.

Having lowly thoughts about ourselves and great thoughts about God is the way to true power. God will not permit us to be put to shame when we are in this state.

God hates the strength of man; such strength is filled with self-interest, self-exaltation, and self-glorification. All of it is strange fire that God has not kindled. The more human strength we acquire, the more we will be put to shame. A person can become strong in himself through everything he hears and reads, and many have gone astray in this strength.

We can only be united in a strong and invincible brotherhood in purity and humility by being faithful to God in the hidden recesses of our heart. All the powers of the devil have to declare bankruptcy against the power of this brotherhood. Jesus will consume the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth, and all those who are one with him in the spirit of pride.

“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.” Job. 9:4. This pure and good strength is in His wisdom. All other strength is united with folly.

“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” Rev. 5:13-14.