Thursday Devotional - Who Has Power and Control?

Last year Sarah enjoyed “riding” a tricycle at my parents’ house that had a long pole out the back. At 2, she felt independent steering and pedaling, all the while someone was giving her power from behind.

Like Sarah, Pilate thought he had power and control, but the only power and control he had was given to him by God.

John 19:5-11 ⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

No one has power or control unless God allows it. Like Pilate, you and I might think we are in control, but God is the only Almighty One who has absolute and unlimited power over all.

And when things seem out of control, we can remember that God’s purposes will prevail in spite of the chaos and evil. What comfort does that give to you and me today?    

Alice

Thurs Devo - Order or Chaos?

Do you prefer order or chaos? We often don’t like other people telling us what to do, when to do it, how to do it, etc. However, if there’s no structure and anything goes, then there’s chaos and nothing gets accomplished, people get hurt, property gets damaged, and time is wasted.

After God rescued the Israelites from Egypt and brought them into the desert, He setup an orderly way for them to travel and camp. It freed them to live in peace without chaos.

Numbers 2:1-3a, 10a, 17-18a, 25a, 34     The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ² “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.” ³ On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard… ¹⁰ On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard…¹⁷ Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard.¹⁸ On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard…²⁵ On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard… ³⁴ So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

The Israelites didn’t need to fight to get a front row spot. God had ordered it so that each group was camped equidistant from His tabernacle in the middle. They each had a set place to camp and a set order for travelling. I would guess that eliminated lots of chaos, confusion, worry, fights. etc.

God is orderly. God doesn’t micromanage, but He does give clear instructions on how to order our lives. If everyone lived by His instructions, there would always be order and no chaos!

How orderly is your and my life?

What logistical or organizational changes might God have us make in order to be better prepared for His service or to more fully enjoy the life He’s given us?

As you and I live according to God’s instructions, what peace and security have we experienced?

Alice