Accessing God’s Power for Your Future, Part 3

“Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced.” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (NIV)

If you’re anything like me, you are prone to forget the things you should remember and remember the things you ought to forget! Frustrating, isn’t it? That seemed to be the same problem that the people of Israel had as well. When they got to the Red Sea and saw Egypt chasing after them, they quickly forgot who led them there and how. They forgot all the wonders that God had performed to get them out of Egypt. Their faith grew weak as they began to panic and complain. Moses redirected their focus back to the God that had brought them out of Egypt, assuring them that He was the same God who would secure their future despite the enemy threatening them in the present. Moses teaches us how to access God’s power. What did he do, that you and I can do, to access God’s power?

First, he admitted he was too weak without God. In Exodus 14, Moses cries out to God, acknowledging that he was powerless to save himself and the people he had led out of Egypt.

Second, Moses affirmed God’s power and presence. He assured the people that the Lord would fight for them. How did he know? All he had to do was review all that God had done in getting them where they were! God had led them there by His mighty hand. The Psalmist put it like this, “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the judgments He pronounced.” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (NIV) Moses only had to recall the 10 wonders that God performed in Egypt and the way God led them out. When you’re worried about the future because of the pressures and problems you’re facing today, affirm God’s power and presence. The Lord is with you! He is mighty to save!

Third, Moses aligned himself with the will of God. You might think that being in the will of God will exempt you from problems. It doesn’t. Yet, there’s no safer place to be! Exodus 13:17-18 (NLT) says, “When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road … even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. … God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” Moses knew that God had led them there. Sometimes, God leads us in a roundabout way. There are no shortcuts to the will of God. If I want to access God’s power, I must align myself with His will - no matter where it may lead me! Through the journey, He is teaching me to trust Him.

Fourth, he asked God for the power he needed. James tells us in James 4:2 (NIV) “… You do not have because you do not ask God.” Ask! Sometimes, that is all He is waiting for us to do. But what if you’ve taken all of these steps to access God’s power and you still feel weak and powerless, immobile and paralyzed with fear? There’s a fifth, and final, step we’ll check out tomorrow that brought the breakthrough and led to one of the biggest miracles in the Old Testament.