God’s Grid

There is no power in our house.
We have been bombarded with snow for weeks.
Until now, the power has remained on through every storm.

This storm is different.
This storm has freezing rain and extensive ice.
Temperatures are hovering right below freezing, doing its damage.

I woke up and grabbed a shower before we lost power.
Candles and a flashlight illuminated the kitchen.
I ate a small breakfast by candlelight.

Schools are closed for the fifth time this winter.
The fire is in the fireplace; the rocking chair is beckoning to be pulled closer to its flames.
It is a day to rest and be still.

Forced stillness to be sure.
Yet, stillness nonetheless.
Stillness that is so important to our soul.

Not having power is troublesome.
Not having power is inconvenient.

Our house has its own well and septic tank.
We lose the amenities that we usually take for granted.
No water means no flushing and no showers; no electricity means no lights.

My battery is low on my iPhone,
Thankfully that can be charged in the car.
My battery is low on my laptop, but with no Internet, that can wait.

The electric company will have to find out where all the problems are located.
It could be hours; it could be days.
I am grateful to the linemen that work so diligently to get us all back on the grid.

How vital it is to be connected to the main power source.
People have commented that blue lights are visible in the sky as transformers blow.
Tree limbs and power lines sag under the weight of all the ice.

It is a beautiful winter wonderland; but it can be deadly.
People are traveling when they should stay inside.
There are accidents and derailments.

People are stubbornly walking on sidewalks to get where they need to go.
People are refusing to wait in their homes and they venture out too soon.
People are insisting that they need to get here or there.

How vital it is to be connected to the main power source.
We are cut off when there is a power outage.
Being cut off can be deadly.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
(Acts 1:8)

Power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
Power from on high.
Power from outside ourselves.

Off God’s grid, we can do nothing.
Off God’s grid, we are operating on our limited, feeble power supply.
Off God’s grid, we are impotent.

God’s grid is like the control room.
It is the central hub from which all other things operate.
It is the Main Power Supply.

One small break in the circuit causes the whole line to go down.
One piece of debris falling on the power lines renders them inoperable.
Until they are reconnected, no power can get through.

Having no power affects our daily life.
We function but we are sitting in the dark.
Life goes on, but there is no illumination.

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered, “it has often thrown him into the fire to water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.  After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can only come out by prayer.”
(Mark 9:17-29)

This kind can only come out by prayer.
This kind needs the circuits to be unobstructed.
This kind needs power from God’s grid.

Power from on high.
Power that is fruitful, not impotent.
Power that only life in the Spirit can supply.

We all have incidences in our life that we could classify as, “this kind.”
‘This kind” is too much for us on our own.
“This kind” can only be handled if we are connected to the Main Power Supply.

Plug in.
Recharge.
Stay connected.

Apart from Him, we can do nothing.