As children of God we can all experience and enjoy God’s power in our life. In every matter relating to life and godliness we can use His power, which dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. Many a number having not realized this strive to accomplish matters with their strength and cleverness. But, it does not have to be so. For God Himself who willingly dwells in us accomplishes all things for us. Whether those things are works according to His will or the desires of our heart, it is He who will accomplish them. His power is able to direct in the way we ought to move. It compels us to take the direction He has decided for us. Hence, we walk on the path that gives victory to all things He has purposed in and through us. Walking in the direction He has given us is where we ought to put all our effort.
There will be obstacles as we take God’s direction. God knows them all full well. He allows them so that we understand the mightiness of His power. And sometimes when we can no longer endure the affliction caused by obstacles, we see His power work in an unusual way making way for us to walk the way He purposed for us. Having experienced His power in many ways Paul said, “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col. 1:29). God gives us power accordingly to overcome situations or accomplish matters. He strengthens us exactly as is needed. The moment we feel calmness and peacefulness during the time of affliction, striving or anxiousness, it is God’s power strengthening us to move forward. Hence, Paul said that His power mightily works within him. By His power we can enjoy the moment of being strengthened and know that He indeed is with us forever. We can feel confident of the future. In fact, it is here that faith works in its fullness – we see things the eyes do not see.
Paul’s faith in God and Christ was very strong only by the power of God that worked inside him. Unless and until it is the case with us, we cannot experience the power of the mighty God of heaven and earth; we cannot strive by His power to bring Him glory; we cannot see the things He wants us to see. The key to experience His power and everything by it is in the following. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Heb. 5:12). Our present circumstance should not be a time for learning the elementary principles of God. When we are able to take the solid food, i.e. the deeper things of God, His working nature and the way of the Spirit-filled life, His power begins to work inside us. What we need to have a peaceful and joyous life is His power to embolden us. Then, no circumstance can become a weapon to destroy us.
We must come to the stage of needing solid food and God is able to discern it. In other words, when we desire the greater things of God by the elementary principles of His oracles, He discerns we are ready for solid food. The Spirit of God is the One that helps us in this process. The spin-off is we understand the cost in knowing again the elementary principles. There are ways to desire the greater things of God.
- Being reclusive to sin. The Spirit says, “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality” (Rev. 18:3). The first and foremost elementary principle of the oracles of God is staying away from sin. As we withdraw ourselves from sin and its activities, God discerns we are ready for solid food. Once we begin receiving solid food the power of sin toward us weakens and the power of God begins to mightily work within us. At a certain time God relishes in filling us completely with His power for every path we take. And though men may regard us as weak and foolish, they will be put to shame by the victory of God’s power that works mightily in us.
- Acknowledging the kindness of God. Paul having done it said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). When God has shown us untold mercies and comforted us in all our afflictions, we ought to bear them in mind. By remembering them as often as possible we attain the mind to desire greater things from God and the Spirit directs us to those things. It is praising God and thanking Him for all His mercies and comfort that defines our remembering them.
- Do not be bewildered. The receiving of salvation has taught us that God works wondrously. Bewilderment is a nature associated only with unbelievers. “And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). As for us, who are saved in Christ, we are to look forward to and accept all the amazing things God does in our life. One of the key things to desire greater things from God is to realize that it is God who is at work in our life. Bewilderment puts us in confusion, creates doubt and makes us ask questions which the faithful in Christ ought not to ask. Therefore, rejoice in everything God brings forth in your life.
- Walking in the steps of Jesus. “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40). We should never say “it is sufficient” when growing in Christ. By continuing to grow God turns us like His Son, i.e. we become strong to face the world and Satan and overcome them by His wisdom. Then, His grace will be upon us so that we grow from faith to faith. This is the means to gathering solid food. We heap the deeper things of God, His working nature and the way of the Spirit-filled life. And the power of God will surely work mightily within us.
- We must accept suffering for Christ. Do not fall back at this statement. The Scripture foretells that he who receives Christ and lives for Him will suffer. So, brace yourself for glory, for suffering inevitably brings God’s immeasurable grace upon us. God will only let us suffer to a certain degree. He controls our suffering and puts a time frame to it. Though the times do not appear conducive to us and our suffering seems to overcome us, remember God has allowed it, and it results in His glory and our joy. Through our suffering He pronounces judgment on Satan. Once we are a brand plucked from fire our desire for the greater things of God will be immense. And God sanctions them to us. “The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’” (Zech. 3:2).