The Greatness of His Power

Ephesians 1.15-23 (3)

Pray Psalm 29.1, 2.
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Sing Psalm 29.1, 2.
(Toulon: I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art)
Give praise to God, you children of the earth!
Tell of His strength, proclaim His glorious worth!
Give to the LORD the glory due His Name!
Worship in holiness; His grace proclaim!

Read Ephesians 1.15-23; meditate on verse 19.
In your mind, what does the power of God look like? How many different ways can you envision it?

Preparation
1. What is the object of God’s power?

2. How great is that power?

Meditation
The power of God comes to us in the Person of the Holy Spirit, Who is with us and in us, working so that we will and do the good pleasure of God (Phil. 2.13). The power He brings into us is exceedingly great, greater than we have ever dared to ask or think (Eph. 3.20). It is the mighty power of God to create, sustain, rule, and transform. 

It is the power that raised Jesus from the dead!

Paul wants us to know that power, to be familiar with it, to consort with it, grow in it, wield it, be shaped and moved by it. What will that look like, as the mighty power of God works in us? 

We should expect this power to affect our vision of the life to which we have been called, and to inflame our heart with holy aspirations and our conscience with unshakeable values and priorities. We should think in terms of significant growth and change, projects and undertakings of various sorts, and increasing fruitfulness in all areas of our lives. We will set goals and make plans accordingly, and desire only to know, enjoy, and serve the Lord in all our aspirations. We will look to the Spirit to stretch out within us, so that we are shaped more and more into the very image of Jesus Christ. We will draw on His strength to do many things—more even than we can envision at present—and to do them all with excellence. We should see our lives as one continuous challenge to get out of the boat and walk on the water toward Jesus, trusting only in the power of His might to sustain and use us. We should not say “No” to whatever He calls us to undertake, and we should pray that He would daily call us to more efforts in which we may glorify Him. We should fill up all our time with high and holy thoughts, desires, and undertakings, and not waste a moment on that which is merely frivolous. 

Such is the power that is at work in us. The power that raised Jesus from the dead can every day raise you and me to higher levels of love for God, hunger for His Word, thirst for His grace, love for our neighbors, and determination to seek His Kingdom and righteousness in all we do. 

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Snippets of the exceeding greatness and mighty power of God (Eph. 1.19):

“‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’
And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains 
and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; 
and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 
and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; 
and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kgs. 19.11, 12). 
Wonder working power.

“You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (2 Sam. 5.23, 24).
Wonder working power.

“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he many see.’
Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. 
And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kgs. 6.16, 17).
Wonder working power.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen!
Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 
‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified,
and the third day rise again.’ And they remembered His words” (Lk. 24.5-8).
Wonder working power.

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide? There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow; There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing? There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.
(Lewis E. Jones, 1899)This is the exceedingly great, mighty, and unsurpassed power of God
which He worked in Christ Jesus “toward us who believe” (Eph. 1.19).

“Such is the power that is at work in us.” 

Reflection
1. How do you experience the power of God at work in you?

2. Where would you like to know more of His power?

3. How would you explain to a new believer how to access the power of God?

That they might not be cast down by a view of their own unworthiness, he exhorts them to consider the power of God; as if he had said, that their regeneration was no ordinary work of God, but was an astonishing exhibition of his power. John Calvin (1509-1564),Commentary on Ephesians 1.19

Pray Psalm 29.3-11.
Thank and praise God for all the ways you see His power at work in the world and in you.

Sing Psalm 29.3-11.
(Toulon: I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art)
Over the waters, over thunder’s roll,
God’s voice creation’s mighty pow’rs controls!
Cedars collapse at His majestic Word;
nations are shaken by our mighty LORD!

God speaks and lightning streaks across the sky;
by His decree He shakes the desert dry.
Speak, LORD, and life to beasts and men is giv’n.
Forests dissolve, and glory rings in heav’n.

Sovereign, the LORD sat o’er the raging flood;
Sovereign forever rules our gracious God!
God will His people bless with strength and peace:
LORD, may Your holy Word to us increase!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

Our book, To Know Him, can help in understanding the glory of God and how we may know it. Learn more, hear an excerpt, and order your copy by clicking here.

Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we are looking at commerce from a Kingdom perspective. Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation.  In our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, the saint is making progress in his journey to find The Promised Land of the Saints. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.