What situation has you discouraged, concerned, anxious, or frustrated? Years ago a well-known pastor made a good point, saying,
When you ask many people, “How are you doing?” they say, “I’m doing OK — under the circumstances.” What are you doing under the circumstances? Who put you there? Why don’t you get on top of the circumstances? Circumstances are like the mattress on your bed. Get on top of them, and you’ll rest easy. Get underneath them, and you’re going to suffocate.
That sounds good, but how exactly do we get on top of our circumstances? We do it by looking to the Lord, our “mighty God.” This is the second title ascribed by Isaiah to Jesus, several centuries before his birth:
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)
In yesterday’s devotional we saw that, at the time this prophecy was delivered, Israel was a nation “in anguish” (Isa. 9:1). But God promised that brighter days were coming. Amidst the darkness a light would shine, and that Light was none other than God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:12-16; cf. Matt. 1:23). The first title ascribed to him, “Wonderful Counselor,” could be translated “a wonder of a counselor.” The Hebrew word for “wonder” is pala, which appears 70 times throughout the Old Testament and is used primarily in reference to God. The word pala first appears in Genesis 18:14, where the Lord says in reference to himself, “Is anything too hard [pala] for the Lord?”
This ties in well with the second title ascribed to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6: “Mighty God.” The Hebrew term is El Gibbor. El is a term for God that signifies strength. In some contexts the term is translated as “might” or “power.” Yet this term for God is intensified by the adjective Gibbor, which means “mighty,” “strong,” or “valiant.” The combination of these terms into the title “El Gibbor” emphasizes the almightiness of God.
We see the staggering power of God in the very first statement in Scripture: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The prophet Jeremiah exclaimed, “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jer. 32:17). In the next verse, Jeremiah addresses the Lord as the “great and mighty God” (Jer. 32:18). it would do us well to remember that Jeremiah lived in even darker days than Isaiah and has been referred to as “the weeping prophet.” Yet in the midst of his tears he turned to his “mighty God” in prayer and continued to trust him.
Is that what you do during troubled times? That’s what we should do all the time. All we must do to be reminded of God’s almighty power is to consider the beauty of creation (general revelation) and the truth of Scripture (special revelation).
I experienced the convergence of both revelations upon waking up today. During my quiet time with the Lord I read these verses in Psalm 147:
He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. (Ps. 147:15-18)
I had to look no further than my front yard to see the reality of this truth:
Shortly after seeing the fresh-fallen snow, I saw the “waters flow” on my short walk from home to church.
In this moment I turned my problems into prayers. I laid them out before the Lord. I thought of how microscopic my issues were in comparison to God’s omnipotent strength — so much so as to be laughable. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Of course not! The God who created and sustains the universe is more than able to handle whatever issues are facing me … and you.
Why be stressed
when you can be blessed?
In closing, for your encouragement, I’d like to share with you three things that Jesus, as the “mighty God,” is able to do for us. All I did was look up the clause “he is able” in reference to Jesus Christ, and here’s what I found:
He is able to save us. Because Jesus is the mighty God, “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). Have you put your trust in Jesus fully for salvation?
He is able to keep us. Because Jesus is the mighty God, the apostle Paul testified, “I know whom I have believed an am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12). Are you looking for security in earthly things, or in the mighty God who will never let you go? (See also John 10:27-30)
He is able to help us. Because Jesus is the mighty God, and “because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18). If you are trusting in Jesus for your eternal salvation, doesn’t it make sense to trust him in every situation — to rely on him to help you through your daily struggles and temptations?
Jesus is the “Mighty God.” He is able to save us, keep us, and help us. This is “good news of great joy for all people,” including you and me.
My faith can rest on no other pillow than Christ’s omnipotence.
What’s your faith resting on?