This world always presents numerous attractions before us, in an attempt to lead us away from
the whole reason we were created by God. God has instructed us to love and worship Him with all our hearts, while walking in obedience. That is the whole duty of man. God has always intended for us to inherit His heavenly kingdom. He has a love for us incomparable to anything we can fathom. However, often the needs of the flesh and human mind draw us away from the focus of God. Our success lies in our realisation that God indeed has a perfect plan for us. We have to overcome our flesh and start to seek what that perfect plan entails, not only demonstrating our love for God through our words, but through our actions.

 

When you start to worship knowing who is God is, you will be able to understand His power and
authority over you. If we take the disciples of Jesus as an example, Jesus told them to come and
follow Him so that they would be fishers of men. His word was enough to move them into action and they obeyed. In your worship, you need to understand God’s expectations of you. Understanding the power relationship between God and man is vital. Humility gives you the ability to lay your life down in surrender only to God. It gives you the grace to put God’s instruction above your human understanding or opinion. We are empowered to walk in obedience even if we may not agree with the path God decides upon. Empowerment comes through our knowledge and understanding of the word of God. We become the individuals whom God wants us to be without a reliance on other people or things we use as “crutches.” It gives us the independence to be proactive in our worship without constant persuasion or instruction from peers.

If we look at the Israelites during the time of Joshua, they had developed “crutches” to rely on in the form of idols, instead of God. Joshua’s message to pledge their loyalty only to God was not only a warning, but an opportunity for them to change their ways. It was a message of complete submission to the authority of God. Authority is the power to be able to get someone to do something. For example, at the work place people are not told everyday that they need to be on time or how to perform the duties. Instead, there is an understanding between the employer and the employee developed at the start of employment through a written contract that outlines all expectations. The employer gains authority over the employee. As such, employees need not be reminded of their duties because there is an expectation to work as according to the contract. If compliance is lacking, certain interventions are then taken. The authority of the workplace is such that you automatically work without constant supervision. Therefore, submitting to authority is interlinked with a certain level of fear for the consequences should you not comply. Sadly, christians of today do not apply the same principles in their worship. That is why we often find that people will comply to their work place, but not to the things of God. God should be the authority we seek to live under.
Submitting to God’s authority equals empowerment.

You will no longer need persuasion from your pastor or peers to do what God wants you to do. Once you understand that authority, you will start to seek the answers in His word. With every circumstance you encounter, you will search deeper through the scriptures to find out the true meaning and solution. As previously established, the Israelites in the time of Joshua lacked a true understanding of the authority that had delivered them from Pharaohs hand. The word of God has power and authority, but only to the extent to which we as individuals allow it. Most people want to use the power of the word of God by quoting verses from the bible, but they themselves do not want to bow down to what the word is saying. Anyone can quote from the bible, but how it is implemented in our lives is different. Being able to do what the word says enables us to use the power of the word in whatever circumstances that may arise.

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 – God has the ability to speak anything into existence. He can make a difficult
situation bearable. He provided manna to the Israelites, food never seen before. Whatever need
you have or challenge you are going through, you have to find God. He makes all things possible.
Do not seek the end product, but you need the manufacturer of the products instead. Was Isaac
not instructed to remain where he was and plant on dry ground instead of going to Egypt? In his
obedience, did he not harvest 100 fold? God made the impossible possible. What Isaac needed
was not what Egypt could offer him. It was neither good soil nor rain but God Himself. When the
word of God is activated and manifests in us, we walk in abundance. What comes from the mouth
of God is stronger than what we can see with our naked eye. To those observing Isaac, they probably were at a loss as to why he was planting seeds on dry ground. Because they did not have the same conviction or understanding as Isaac, they could not comprehend his actions.
We see the same principle being taught by Jesus in Matthew 4:4. Truly man does not live on
bread alone, but what comes from the mouth of God. As such, even if God’s instruction seems
difficult or impossible, we must still act upon it. God makes all things possible.
In conclusion, take this time to reflect on your way of thinking. Do not allow your opinion or lack of faith to overpower the authority of God in your life. Many people quote 1 John 4:4 but fail to reflect on what is truly within them. Is it God, or is it self? God cannot dwell within you unless you submit to his authority. In John 21:6, we learn that by humbling themselves and submitting to Jesus’ authority through obedience, the disciples caught more fish than their nets could hold.

Therefore, we can only tap into the authority when we humble ourselves to it. The word of God is the counsel and mind of God. Let us see the word of God as something that we have to live by everyday and to give in to what it says. Then and only then will we be able to use the word of God with all its power.