God's Power and Authority
Thursday, September 16, 2021
by Dr. Paul Chappell
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
Luke 4:38-40
One of the ways in which the rightful claim of Jesus to be the Messiah was validated was through the many miracles that He performed. In our day, we take the access we have to medical care for granted. Diseases that were life-altering or even fatal in the past are now treated routinely. In the time of Christ, however, there were no hospitals as we know them today, and even trained doctors did not have the knowledge and tools that medical professionals have now. People who were sick often had little hope of effective treatment. So when word spread that Jesus was healing people, huge crowds began to gather.
Whether He was healing all who were sick in a large crowd or just one person, Jesus was demonstrating the authority and power that were rightfully His as the Son of God. He commanded diseases and demons and all of the natural world, which should come as no surprise because He is the Creator of everything. When He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, those closest to Him, who had seen so much of His power on display, were still astonished. “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).
The knowledge that we have a God with all power, who is able to do whatever is necessary for us to accomplish His purpose and His will, should fill us with confidence. It should lead us to seek His face and trust Him to work.
Today's Growth Principle:
We can trust God's power to provide victory and resources in every circumstance of our lives.
