Power. Everybody needs it, everybody wants it. Politicians are obsessed with it, egoistic heads are filled with it, and the oppressed long to overturn it.
As Hurricane Helene stormed onto the Florida coast, marched across Georgia, and tore through the Carolinas, its power destroyed all other powers. Jet engines with over 20,000 pounds of thrust were grounded, 600 horsepower semi-trucks searched for safety, and electrical grids bowed to the wind. School boards cancelled classes, the economy stopped humming, and politicians paused their stumping. Every power on earth was bested by the superior strength of nature.
This week I have experienced the loss of power. After parking at a restaurant, my van refused to start—the problem was a dead battery. Until AAA arrived, I was helpless, stranded in a restaurant parking lot. The night before, a lightning strike sent a surge of power through my house that my Wi-Fi modem was unable to handle. Cut off from my ability to work, I learned how much I depend on reliable internet.
This I have learned: The power of God is greater than the power of man. Without him I can do nothing, with him I can do all things. Jesus told his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) His power will overcome every other power whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.