“You have given me authority over all flesh”. John 17: 2
Have you ever walked away from a situation thinking “ I didn’t see that coming!”
God loves to step into our worlds and surprise us in ways we could never imagine and He loves to reveal his glory in our lives. It’s often in our weakest moments where we feel completely powerless and helpless that we find He steps in and intervenes because we have actually given up trying to fix things and have let go. God’s way will never make sense to our carnal minds and yet we often waste so much time trying to work out how God will deliver us from our trials, going through all the possible outcomes and pros and cons in our heads. But the word tells us “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord” Isaiah 55:8. Look at God’s rescue plan for mankind! It seemed like sheer foolishness to the carnal mind. The cross was utter humiliation to the world and yet it was the instrument of glory to the Father. God turned what was foolish and weak into symbols of triumph and honour. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. 1 Cor 18. The Son glorified the Father by revealing through His sacrifice the sovereignty of God over evil, the compassion of God for all men, and the certitude of redemption for believers.
Jesus had complete confidence and faith in this plan because He understood who He was and who He belongs to. He understood the authority that he stood in. He had confidence that God His Father would deliver him and be true to His word and He stepped out and believed. Incredibly at the point when Jesus knows he is about to be rejected, arrested, betrayed, tortured and put to death He declares : “You have given me authority over all flesh”. John 17 V 2. In this moment of absolute weakness in the world’s eyes Jesus calls out his true standing in this world. He is above it all, He is supreme in power, He chooses to lay down his life. You see the enemy will never have the upper hand, although at times it might seem that way we are called to walk by faith and not by sight to put our complete trust in the Father and to expect with anticipation and hope the day our of deliverance
Today the Lord wants to remind you that you are never powerless. You may feel afraid, you may feel like a grasshopper as the spies did when they saw the giants in Numbers 13 but that is not the reality. The very Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in you. He has authority over all flesh and He has given you authority over every work of the enemy. No matter what you may be facing and what people may be telling you, remember today that the Lord is on your side. As you surrender to His will and trust in His ways, He will take all that you are told is foolish and that you see as being your weakness and he will reveal His glory through you. You will never be put to shame, He’ll turn those past mistakes and times of humiliation into places of glory and honour.
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020