God, Our Power Source

“Grandma, we can’t talk now. We’re driving around in a hurricane with a meatloaf and the dog!” My 11-year-old nephew was talking on the cell phone to my mom, as the outer bands of Hurricane Katrina battered the SUV. It was August 25, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in South Florida as a category 1.

My brother fought to keep control of the steering wheel, while his wife held tight to the meatloaf, that was only half-done baking when the power went out. We saw palm branches and debris fly by the windows. I sat next to the car seat and held my youngest nephew’s hand, for my own benefit as much as his. The howling winds assaulted our ears and made the dog jumpy. So, my 8-year-old-nephew stroked the dog to try to calm him down.

The storm had knocked the electricity out at both my house and my brother’s. But we learned that some good friends still had power at their house. Because my sister-in-law was on a mission to save the meatloaf, we loaded the SUV, and the six of us took off. Though our friends lived less than four miles away, it took us three times as usual to get to them. The scent of partially raw ground beef filled the vehicle as we drove past flooded roads. We witnessed downed trees, and held our breath as we went under traffic lights that swung wildly from side-to-side. We were so desperate for power that we braved driving in a hurricane.

We made it to our friends’ house, and finished the meatloaf. After dinner, the puffy air mattresses and couches brought rest and relief as we crashed for the night. We awoke the next day to sunny skies and the news that the hurricane had moved across Florida and into the Gulf.

After driving back to my brother’s house, we joined many neighbors outside to assess damage. We craned our necks, looking around to spot electric company repair trucks, but to no avail. The kids laughed as they scrambled up the roots of the giant banyan trees that had fallen. As we stood looking up at the utility poles and cables, one of my nephews said, “I don’t get it. The wires are still there, so why don’t we have power in our house?”

I began to explain, “The wires just contain or hold the electrical current as it travels through them. The actual power is the electrical current – not the wires.”

Inspiration hit and I continued, “We are like the electrical wires and God is the power in us.”

“That’s cool,” said my nephew. Then he ran off to join the other kids climbing the trees.

As I read my Bible later, I thought about similarities between power cables that contain electrical current and we humans as containers. When the electricity goes out, the cables and wires become useless. Severe winds, storms, lightning strikes, and flooding can impact or stop the flow of power. 1 Corinthians 6:19 states that believers in Christ contain the Holy Spirit. When I allow sin like pride to strike, the debris of selfish thoughts to clutter my mind, or fear to flood my heart, it blocks or minimizes the Holy Spirit’s power flow. But when I confess my sin, pray, and spend time in the Word, I get replenished with God’s power.

Philippians 1:6 teaches that God will continue His work in us until it is finished. Just as our family needed electricity to finish baking the meatloaf, we all need the Lord’s power to work in us. Let’s keep the lines clear to operate in His maximum power!

Related Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 “do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
• 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
• Phillipians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”.

Application Questions

• In what situations do you feel weak, or feel a lack of power?
• In what areas would you like to increase in the Lord’s power?
• What do you think about asking God to empower you to share Jesus with others?