By: Rex Stump
Wauseon, Ohio
I was curious, what is the most expensive car a person can buy? So, I did a quick search and discovered on Car and Driver website; “The Bugatti Chiron is an epic machine. And it came with a base price of around $3 million.”
“For those who had the opportunity to drive one, it delivered a dizzying experience, with the kind of thrust that could make you feel nauseous and giddy all at once.”
Three million dollars!! Unbelievable! All that power, all that shine, all that prestige, for a dizzying experience…but let’s be honest, without a battery, it’s not going anywhere! No power, no go! Right?
It’s simple! Without a power source, we are weak. Without a power source, we can do nothing. In the book of Isaiah, God’s people fell under judgement for their disobedience, as God empowered the enemy king of Assyria to be victorious. This king did not recognize that his power came from God, and instead he boasted and bragged!
God said, “But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it?
Can a wooden cane walk by itself?” Modern translation, can the car boast greater power than the person who drives it? Is the baseball bat greater than the person who swings it? Can a basketball move unless a hand moves it?”
We can’t be successful, without a power source. Our power, our talents, our abilities, our life comes from God. So, do we give Him the glory, or do we boast in our own ability?
We shouldn’t expect an ungodly king, to recognize that his power came from God. But even Paul said, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:19-20)
And yet, Assyria boasted in themselves and their accomplishments. God punished Assyria for their arrogance and boasting, “The Lord will consume Assyria’s glory like a fire consumes a forest in a fruitful land; it will waste away like sick people in a plague.”
It doesn’t matter how powerful we are, how talented we are, or how much the world values our abilities, without our power source (God) we are nothing. Even Jesus said, “Apart from you can do nothing!”
Glory always belongs to God. So, give God the glory. Give God praise for how He has empowered and gifted you. “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:7)
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.