We are limited in life by our abilities, and the abilities of those around us. I believe that most of us never want to intentionally let our fellow humans down, whether wife, husband, children, coworkers, church members, or even just people we meet daily. Most of us would say that we want to be good to all of these people. However, it is often the case that in spite of our good intentions, we let others down. The obligation to do good and be good as a Christian is often on our minds and Satan is ever ready to point out our failures. The older I get and the more I fail, it becomes ever clearer that Jesus was correct when He said, “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Yet there are so many stories of
God using seemingly weak people: Joseph, Daniel, David, Gideon, and more, who did so much. I find myself asking the questions—How is this? What was their secret?
If we take a look at the disciples during the ministry of Jesus, we see failure much of the time. James
and John wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy people. The disciples paid no attention to the woman at the well. Peter tried to divert the mission of Jesus. The list goes on! Yet at the time of Pentecost, Peter preached and thousands were baptized. Why was this? Because the promise of power through the Spirit was received. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
In Daniel chapters 5 and 6, it is said that Daniel had the Spirit of God in him. Is it possible that we
as Christians are laboring without power, and that is why we are fruitless? After all, the promise is that by abiding in Jesus we would bear “much fruit” (John 15:5). Zechariah wrote, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
If you’ve ever been discouraged because you have misrepresented Jesus, I want to tell you that there
is hope! Ezekiel wrote a story about the children of Israel: “When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name— when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went” (Ezekiel 36:20–21).
Maybe someone reading will say, “That sounds like me sometimes.” Consider the following promise
to these same people just a few verses later: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out
of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put
My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:24–27).
Hallelujah! We serve a merciful God! He is more willing to give you His Spirit than parents are to give good gifts to their children (see Luke 13:4). Are you ready to let the Spirit of God dwell in you so you can be a bearer of “much fruit”? All you have to do is ask and believe by faith, and you will receive God’s power. We should do this every day. Surrender your will to Jesus and ask for His Spirit to empower you. What a witness you will be to all of those around you! Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control, is what others will see.
Pray for our team that we may receive God’s Spirit and win souls, and may He grant you power to do the same. Amen.
—Travis Maloney All Bible references are from the NKJV.
