Resting in the Power of God

In my last post, I examined our longing for omnipotence. We long for a God who can make things right, in our lives and in the world. In this post, I want to consider how we can rest in the power of the omnipotent God.

In Scripture, knowledge of God is intimate and personal. Divine omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence are not mere abstract properties ascribed to God so that philosophers can find gainful employment working on the knotty puzzles they generate, rather they are intensely personal. The fact that God has the character He has matters to me! 

David illustrates this truth beautifully in Psalm 139. David’s knowledge of God as omniscient (1-6), omnipresent (7-12), and omnipotent (13-18) is not described simply in abstract philosophical terminology, rather it is concrete and personal and moves him to trust and worship of God.

“…you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-14, 16, bold added)

God’s omnipotence mattered to David—and it matters to you and me. We can rest in God’s mighty power.

The start of a new year is typically a time of self-reflection.  But, we are notorious for making new-year resolutions only to miserable fail within 3 or 4 weeks. Alas, we can’t re-engineer our own selves or our lives. We just don’t have that kind of power, knowledge, or moral fortitude.

Do you want to see real change in your life? Do you struggle with an addiction, anger, lust, anxiety, or depression—and see no way out? Turn from self and rest in the power of God.

Do you want to see the world made just a little bit better? Do you want to see injustice made right, goodness triumph over evil, beauty over shallow knock-offs? Then turn from self and rest in the power of God. Ask God to change you. And then go and be the change in the world.

As the 19th century missionary and pastor Andrew Murray puts it:

He stirs up your nest. He disappoints your hopes. He brings down your confidence. He makes you fear and tremble, as all your strength fails, and you feel utterly weary and helpless. And all the while He is spreading His strong wings for you to rest your weakness on and offering His everlasting Creator strength to work in you. And all he asks is that you sink down in your weariness and wait on Him in His Jehovah strength to carry you as you ride upon the wings of His omnipotence.[1]

“Sink down in your weariness and wait on Him.” Amen. Rest in the power of God.