God of power and might, bless and protect the life of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
"and the power..." (Matthew 6:13 KJV).
Power. Who do you think of when you see that word? Or should I ask, what do you think of when you think of power? My first thoughts this morning were of influence and change, and I thought of protection and strength. And I thought of my parents and how they were and still are, powerful people in my life and my life's development. But when we pray to God, and say to God, "Thine is the Kingdom and the power," we're associating and respecting and worshipping the power that God has. God is creator. God is redeemer. God is sustainer. There is nothing stronger than the power of God. God's power is on display everyday if we're just open to it, and if you need a reminder just go back to the pages of the Bible and read there what is said about God. God made all things, loves all things, and blesses all things. God provides guidance, strength, comfort, peace, and protection. All through God's power. God is called "the Mighty One," and God is represented by the bow in the sky; not a soft rainbow, but for the ancient Jew, the symbol of the mightiest weapon known at that time. And God is also shown as the One who can and will renew all things.
If you pause and think about your life and some of the most interesting challenges and opportunities facing you, God's power is within reach to do all of the above. Presence is power. Remember the story told of the children in a kindergarten talking about how powerful their dads were? One said his dad was a banker and had control of a lot of money. The other said her dad was a doctor and could save lives. The third said that her dad was an important elected official and could do powerful things with his vote. The last, whose Dad was spending the day as one of the parent helpers said, "My Dad is here!" Yes, our Dad is right here, right now.
PRAYER: Awesome God, for all things under Your power I stand amazed. For Your presence with me right now, I am blessed. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
P.S. Prayers for the congregation of Oak Park UMC in Corpus Christi, whose buildings suffered major damage through a fire. Thank God no one was injured or harmed, but a lot of work remains to be done and we're trusting God to bless them up out of the ashes.
