God’s power, our surrender, and the blessing sure to follow
By Dean Collins
Sometimes I wish God would speak to me and tell me, “Do not be afraid, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” That was the message to Abraham in Genesis 15:1. When God called us to mission and ministry, he never said it would be without obstacles or difficult people in our way. The scriptures are full of examples that show as much.
The scriptures are also filled with encouragement to fear not. Again and again we’re reminded that God is our shield, rock, defender, and protector. Your name and my name may not appear in the verses, but according to the apostle Paul, those who are in Christ (that’s you and I) are recipients of a resounding “Yes” when it comes to God’s love, provision, and even to great reward. But the scripture does not promise that we will be monetarily wealthy or that we can thoughtlessly run into a tornado or minefield safely.
Incalculable blessing
I haven’t counted all of the “fear nots” of the Bible or all the “do not worries,” but there are many and they come to those who fear God and follow Jesus now just as they did in times past. When we have doubts or concerns about the when and how of God’s involvement, it is certainly appropriate to ask him for more clarification. That is exactly what Abram did, knowing that God had indicated that blessing would come from his family. Abram reminded God that he had servants but no sons. Then he asked whether the blessing was to come from Eliezer who worked for him. God answered no and told Abram to go outside, look up at the sky and count the stars.
God said the number of Abram’s descendants would match the multitude of stars above him. God did not mean this literally; he was not offering a specific number but simply promising a vast and uncountable number of ancestors for Abram. In a similar way, we might count God’s expressions of care and provision. None of us can accurately write down all the ways God has protected us, provided for us, blessed us, or even fed us. But we know he has. And he will again. When we stop to look at the stars, the trees, the moon, and the sea, we are reminded of the magnitude of God’s power and provision.
Immeasurable power
When Jesus sent out 72 disciples on a mission that Luke records in chapter 10, he told them to pray for more harvesters. He sent them out without possessions and credit lines or debit cards to cover expenses. He told them they had spiritual authority to offer God’s peace and blessing on the homes they visited and to deny those things as well. They were to live on the hospitality of others and even to heal the sick. I suppose the 72 disciples might have felt a little like Abram felt with the instructions to go to another land and basically birth a nation at age 90 or more. God sometimes gives overwhelming assignments that can only be accomplished by his power and certainly not by ours.
When the 72 came back they were bragging about how evil spirits obeyed them when they said the name of Jesus. Jesus told them not to be bragging about such things but to be grateful that their names were registered in Heaven.
When God gives us a mission, he accomplishes it because we continued to surrender to him and depend on him. God-sized things happen because of God, not because of our brains, wealth, or ingenuity—or because we occasionally mention his name along the way. God works through us as we yield to his control, and he always accomplishes more than we can imagine or hope for. These are the reasons we do not have to fear or worry.
So as we read scripture and see the awesome stories of God, we can be grateful that even today he is still writing amazing stories in our lifetimes and especially so when we humbly follow where he leads us.
Your time with God’s Word
Genesis 15:1-6; 2 Corinthians 1:20-22; Luke 10:20 NLT
Photo by Zachary Nelson on Unsplash
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