God may be described in many ways. He is our Creator, having created all things. He is our Father, our loving Father because He is love. He is eternal, having no beginning and no end. He is good, the final standard of goodness. He is merciful, offering His grace to all who will trust Jesus. He is the King of the universe. He is holy, completely devoid of evil. One of my favorite words that denote the attributes of God is “mighty.” Many prayers begin wisely with the words “Almighty God.” Reginald Heber begins his beloved hymn with these words, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” In the same verse he describes God as “Merciful and Mighty.” Singing those words always reminds me of the awesome power of God. In recent years I have come to love this popular African folk song: What a mighty God we serveAngels bow before HimHeaven and Earth adore HimWhat a mighty God we serveThe Prophet Isaiah paints an awesome picture of the mighty God we are called to serve: 25 “To whom will you compare me?Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:Who created all these?He who brings out the starry host one by oneand calls forth each of them by name.Because of his great power and mighty strength,not one of them is missing.27 Why do you complain, Jacob?Why do you say, Israel,“My way is hidden from the Lord;my cause is disregarded by my God”?28 Do you not know?Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary,and his understanding no one can fathom.29 He gives strength to the wearyand increases the power of the weak.My favorite verse in the Old Testament, Isaiah 41:10, reminds me that the mighty God who created all things loves me and will strengthen me when I turn to him in my weakness:So do not fear, for I am with you;do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.The New Testament teaches that Christ alone can give us the strength needed to face the troubles and sorrows of life. Without Jesus, we are nothing, we have nothing, and we can do nothing. But in Jesus we have everything we need. Our Lord makes it very clear that He is our primary source of power: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Dean and I learned this early. We were only 24 when our son David died at age three. We turned to Jesus and He helped us walk through the valley of sorrow. In that valley we discovered we were not the only people who were suffering. Jesus helped us see that one way out of grief is to help others who are grieving – and He alone can give us the strength to care for others while we burdened with our own grief.Saint Paul directs us in his letters to trust Jesus for the strength we need. When you surrender to Jesus, you are no longer a feeble Christian; you now have within you the mighty power of Jesus. In Ephesians chapter six, Paul explains how to be strong: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the whole armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” The Apostle Peter reminds us that the “divine power of Jesus has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The next time your trials cause you to feel helpless, weak, fearful and afraid, look in the mirror and say aloud: “I will not yield to weakness, depression or defeat because I have the divine power of Jesus within me! I have everything I need to be a strong and courageous servant of Jesus no matter what I must face! “ Inhale and believe the power of Jesus is surging within you! Cry aloud, “Thank you Jesus!” Celebrate the inner strength King Jesus is infusing into your life. The mighty God you are serving will give you all the strength you need to do His will. Claim it! + + +