Written By Ben Dankaka
Meditation – Jeremiah 10:12
One thing that is common about every human is the desire to be powerful. Trust me, you and I, have an innate desire to be powerful. Because we want to control others and our circumstances, we crave for power. The quest for power is what makes leaders dominate their followers. Also, almost every violent act is caused by a strong desire to have control through power. Interestingly, power on its own, isn’t a negative thing. It is how we acquire and use power that either makes it good or evil.
Actually, we don’t have to oppress or control other people before becoming powerful. Real power comes when you are able to create something or do something new, especially when it has to do with our purpose in life. When you create a product or service that is original, you will automatically feel powerful because you will be having control over it. So God wants you to have power but He doesn’t want that power to come as a result of the people you have oppressed. He wants your power to come through a technique that He himself set up.
The Bible tells us that, “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.”(Jeremiah 10:12). In other words, in creating the world, God revealed His power. But the power of God in creation didn’t come by oppressing anyone; it came through the use of His wisdom and understanding (Read Jeremiah 10:12, once again). This verse implies that understanding and wisdom are related to power. It also means that in order to create anything, understanding and wisdom have to be deployed. Again, this point is emphasized in Proverbs 3:19. We are told that “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations; by understanding he set the heavens in place.”
Our God is a Creator whose power is known by the things He creates with His wisdom and understanding. His power didn’t come by oppressing anyone. He didn’t ask anyone to do the work of creation for Him. He did it by Himself, with His own wisdom and understanding. For that reason, He owns and controls the earth. If you want real power, you have to do what God did. Your creation may not necessarily be a tangible product; it could be a project or business. Just make sure it is original. But know that it will require your wisdom and understanding. It is the person with knowledge that can be powerful; not a domineering person. Knowledge is power.
Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom to create. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Jeremiah 10:12; Proverbs 3:19
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.