"Overcoming Power Failure" part 2

Dear Beloved:

     Apostle Paul made a profound statement in  Phil 4:11 when he said “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.”  His use of the word learn is in the context of experience, practice and personal circumstances.  He was speaking from the results of his own lack, suffering, pain, weaknesses, abundance, achievements, strengths and the blessings upon his life.  Apostle Paul was not speaking about the knowledge or the gifts upon his life as though he didn’t have to go through anything.  He was not afforded this ability through his study of the scriptures only.  In verse 12 he explains in more detail “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”  Here he implies his experiences that taught him to trust and depend on the Lord all the more.  He learned more about Christ, His power and His strength thru the things that he went through.

     I have concluded that we learn through our study and personal time with the Lord, we learn through the teaching and training from others and we learn through our own personal experiences.  I am convinced that our greatest, truest and deepest method of learning is through the things that God allows us to go through as we study the word of God.  Overcoming power failure is a process of learning through our own pains, hardships, disappointments, successes, achievements and failures.  Trusting the Lord is easy to say, but not east to do.  The opportunity to trust Him is ever before us daily, but we get to choose whether we will or will not.  There are some painful experiences that are designed to teach us something about Christ and to release His power and revelation in our lives.  If I bypass this painful or difficult experience I will miss out on learning what I need to learn and grow in His power.  Apostle Paul concluded “I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. ( Phil 4:13 amp).  This strength, power and sufficiency is available to us all at all times.  His strength comes through our trust and dependency of Christ in the fire and failures of life.  I’m reminded of the three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.  They said to the king. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you O king, that we not serve your gods, nor will we worship the images which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:16-18).   They had the faith and the confession to believe the Lord, but they still had to go through the fire and experience His deliverance power.  Their confession was powerful, their faith was strong, but their obedience was greatest of all which resulted in the power of God being revealed in the fire.  They were actually bound and thrown into the fire, but God was in the fire with them.  Dan. 3:25 says, “Look! He answered, I see four men loose, walking in the mist of the fire; and they are not hurt and the form of the forth is like the Son of God.”  They would not have experienced God’s intervention on their behalf if they would not have stepped into the fire.

     There are fires, storms, dangers, sufferings and sacrifices that we must face and go through in order to learn the power of Christ for ourselves.  We need the power of Christ and we need to go through the pressure and the pain in order to experience an unknown revelation of Christ.  John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30).  The way to get the power of God in us is for us to decrease and for Him to increase in every area.

Are you ready to overcome power failure?

Sharing Christ’s Love
Dr. James and Prophetess Sharon Randolph