Peanut Butter or Glue?
Peanut butter or glue? That is the choice I am giving you today. Is that an odd question? Yes, I thought it was when the Lord posed it to me this morning as the topic for our Pearls of Wisdom. I, of course, thought He was headed in the direction of glue--you know, He is what holds everything together, and peanut butter would not be very much of an adhesive. No, that is not the choice. The choice is peanut butter because we are not talking about adhesiveness. The Lord wants to talk to us today about strength in us. Peanuts and peanut butter is one of the best things you can eat for quick energy and strength. God wants to be the peanut butter in your life.
In Philippians 2:13 in the Amplified Bible we read this (and I am personalizing it for confession): Not in my own strength, for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in me, energizing and creating in me the power and desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
You know what is so wonderful about this promise of God to us? He says that He is the strength at work in us. He is the One Who is giving us energy to do what He has called us to do. He is the One Who is creating in us the power necessary to do His will and bring Him pleasure. He is the One Who is creating the desire in us not only to will to do something for Him, but also to do the work it takes to complete the task for His pleasure, for His satisfaction and as a delight to Him. Did you ever stop to think that God gets delight out of seeing you accomplish what you are called and destined to do? Yes, He has such delight and pleasure in seeing His child accomplish a task, just as you are so proud of your child when they have accomplished something. What a wonderful Father we have! He is so good to us.
And what about Ephesians 6:10 in the Amplified Bible (again personalizing it for confession).
I am strong in the Lord.
I am empowered through my union with Him.
I draw my strength from Him, that strength which His boundless might provides.
Wow! What a confession!
I AM STRONG IN THE LORD. You and I must know where our strength comes from.
I AM EMPOWERED THROUGH MY UNION WITH HIM. Where does our power come from? From being one with God, our Father, with Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, our ever-present companion, helper, guide, comforter, intercessor, friend. Remember in the book of John in chapter 17. when Jesus was talking to His disciples, He said that He was also talking about those of us to come. And here is what He said in verses 20-23 (Amplified Bible):
Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching.
That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one;
I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. And in verse 26, Jesus makes another strong statement concerning the Father’s love---that the love wherewith He has loved Jesus may be in us and He in us.
Do you see what you have? You have the very life and being, the very essence, the very nature of God Himself in you as a born-again child of God. You have all the strength you need; you have all the love you need. You have all the life you need. In John 10:10, Jesus said that He had come so that we could have and enjoy life, have it in abundance, to the full, until it overflows. When you and I learn to let go of our own puny self-efforts to survive in this world and have the confidence to lean on, rely on, and trust God’s ability in us to take care of us, then we will have peace and be at rest, even in the midst of the most difficult situation.
In Philippians 2:13 in the Amplified Bible we read this (and I am personalizing it for confession): Not in my own strength, for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in me, energizing and creating in me the power and desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
You know what is so wonderful about this promise of God to us? He says that He is the strength at work in us. He is the One Who is giving us energy to do what He has called us to do. He is the One Who is creating in us the power necessary to do His will and bring Him pleasure. He is the One Who is creating the desire in us not only to will to do something for Him, but also to do the work it takes to complete the task for His pleasure, for His satisfaction and as a delight to Him. Did you ever stop to think that God gets delight out of seeing you accomplish what you are called and destined to do? Yes, He has such delight and pleasure in seeing His child accomplish a task, just as you are so proud of your child when they have accomplished something. What a wonderful Father we have! He is so good to us.
And what about Ephesians 6:10 in the Amplified Bible (again personalizing it for confession).
I am strong in the Lord.
I am empowered through my union with Him.
I draw my strength from Him, that strength which His boundless might provides.
Wow! What a confession!
I AM STRONG IN THE LORD. You and I must know where our strength comes from.
I AM EMPOWERED THROUGH MY UNION WITH HIM. Where does our power come from? From being one with God, our Father, with Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, our ever-present companion, helper, guide, comforter, intercessor, friend. Remember in the book of John in chapter 17. when Jesus was talking to His disciples, He said that He was also talking about those of us to come. And here is what He said in verses 20-23 (Amplified Bible):
Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching.
That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.
I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one;
I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. And in verse 26, Jesus makes another strong statement concerning the Father’s love---that the love wherewith He has loved Jesus may be in us and He in us.
Do you see what you have? You have the very life and being, the very essence, the very nature of God Himself in you as a born-again child of God. You have all the strength you need; you have all the love you need. You have all the life you need. In John 10:10, Jesus said that He had come so that we could have and enjoy life, have it in abundance, to the full, until it overflows. When you and I learn to let go of our own puny self-efforts to survive in this world and have the confidence to lean on, rely on, and trust God’s ability in us to take care of us, then we will have peace and be at rest, even in the midst of the most difficult situation.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:14 AM
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