Finally Be Strong in the Lord

Finally

Be Strong in the Lord

Do you feel powerless?

Jesus Christ is sitting on the throne

to empower you!

The word strong means “to empower.”

The word empower has become a contemporary buzzword.

It was not a new word in the 17^th century,

it had a legal meaning,

“to invest with authority, to authorize.”

A more general meaning

has come about to mean

“to enable or permit.”

The word has been taken up by the women’s movement.

It has been adopted by conservatives

as well as social reformers.

Politicians run on a ticket of empowering the people

and in the end, we find more governmental control.

People every where are looking for empowerment;

they are looking for the strength

to overcome their hurdles in life.

In Paul’s final words,

he says “BE…”

God has already given the believer the right,

and the authority, you and I need

to deal with the challenges we face.

To understand Paul’s final words in Ephesians

you need to see they are connected to his prayer

in the beginning of Ephesians 1:15 and following.

Paul’s prayer includes asking for

wisdom and revelation to know God better.

He also asks for our enlightenment concerning our inheritance

and the power and authority that goes with the inheritance.

This prayer for empowerment reveals that our power

comes from the “working of His mighty strength.”

The other day Sandy and I were driving

and I thought everyone on the road

must have been drinking something.

I said to Sandy, “I wish I had a badge.”

Can a badge make a difference?

Yes, not because of the person wearing the badge,

but the authority that goes with the badge.

Do some people defy the badge

and give the officer a hard time?

Yes, they do.

It is also true for you and I.

Paul’s prayer is for us to realize

we have a badge from heaven;

the highest authority that exist.

God has never intended you and I to be

over powered by anything that does not

line up with the government of God.

Jesus is on the throne and has empowered us, too,

with authority to change the world around us. 

When Paul says, “Be”

he is trying to inspire us.

We all struggle with feelings of inadequacy that is

why we are remanded to “be strong in the Lord.”

He will back you up if you run into resistance.  

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord

and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 1:15-23 NIV

15 For this reason,

ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love for all the saints,

16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,

remembering you in my prayers.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the glorious Father,

may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,

so that you may know him better.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

21 far above all rule and authority,

power and dominion,

and every title that can be given,

not only in the present age

but also in the one to come.

22 And God placed all things under his feet

and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

23 which is his body,

the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.