The Authority [Day 9]
Updated: Dec 11, 2022
God is so good! Even through the times of uncertainty, God's character always remains faithfully anchored and unchanging. We can always rely on Him to be there for us, guide us, instruct us, reorder our steps, and love us through everything.
That, in and of itself, is more than enough, but to add to that, God has graciously given us all a specially portioned dose of authority. As God's chosen people, royal priesthood, and co-heirs with our Lord Christ Jesus, we've been given the Spirit of our Lord. The same precious Holy Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead; we have that same One, living within us.
Understanding the power and authority the Spirit of the Lord gives us in Christ Jesus, is something that intrigued me from the beginning of my walk with Jesus. I'm very much still in the baby stages of learning, but as I go, I want to share it with you all.
Let's jump into today's verse and see what wisdom and understanding the Lord has for us today:
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalms 91:13 NIV
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the young lion and the serpent. Psalms 91:13 CSB
You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! Psalms 91:13 NLT
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Psalms 91:13 NKJV
You will tread upon the lion and cobra; The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. Psalms 91:13 AMP
We see many references to lions and serpents throughout the Bible. It all went down hill after the serpent was introduced in the Garden, so we can say that represents the enemy. The lion confused me a bit at first, because I think of Jesus when I hear lion. But the way I'm interpreting it in my mind is those above average challenging battles we face in life; kind of like what Goliath was to the soldiers.
There's the enemy's plans against us, and then there's nature/life; or the circumstances that challenge us beyond what we think we can bear. I believe God is saying in this verse we eat both of those for breakfast hah; ONLY under His authority and power, within His will, and with our complete obedience and surrender. The verse is telling us that with the power living inside of us, the power of the Holy Spirit; the enemy has no authority against us. If death can't even hold us, what else in life can possibly compare?
I know it doesn't always feel that way, trust me (truusttttt meeeee). But this process begins with understanding that the only way we can access God's power and authority is through reading the Word of God daily, staying within our Heavenly Father's boundaries for us, which He reveals through His word; staying within His will for our lives.....which He reveals through His word, and loving Him by obeying His commands, which He has listed....in His word.
Psst.....read the Bible. :-)
When the Bible speaks about all we need being given to us when we seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first before anything else; this includes His power and authority which is necessary to accomplish God's assignment given to each of us.
- Challenge -
'Tis the busiest season ever, right? Let's try taking at least 15 minutes to set aside anytime in our day to thank God for who He is and read at least one verse in His Word.
Do this every morning/evening for as long as you can; if you miss a day, start again, until it becomes a habit. Even if you don't feel immediately transformed; the Lord will be faithful to give us fresh revelation whenever we seek Him.
Filling our hearts with gratitude never steers us in the wrong direction; a heart of praise and thanksgiving manifests the Spirit of the Lord in miraculous and powerful ways. Also, reading God's Word daily helps the renewal of our minds and transformation of our hearts.
Accessing authority and power starts with praising, worshipping, giving thanks to the our Lord God and reading His beautiful love letters/life guide. Additionally, remembering the good deeds of the Lord, brings us back to remembering we belong to and live for our Lord Jesus; not for the power, not for the authority, but so we can honor God in all that we do.
- Closing Prayer -
Father God, we thank You for Your Word, which holds Your love letters to us, with guidance for all seasons in life. We thank You Heavenly Father for the breath in our lungs. We thank You for this day which is another opportunity to get closer to You, Lord God. We praise You for all that has already been done for us, Lord God. We thank You for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. We thank You for this time of grace as we allow You to complete the work You have begun in each of our hearts, Lord God.
We pray for wisdom and understanding to discern this season in our lives Father God; so that we may be prepared in You and with You to be the light in every situation. We pray for strength in the areas or circumstances we are weak. We lay our burdens and anxieties at your feet Lord God, in exchange for Your love, comfort, peace, and rest. We pray for our loved ones, that those who do not know You, encounter You and accept You as their Lord and Savior, Lord Jesus. We pray for those that do know You, to experience Your love and taste the goodness of God for themselves, Lord God.
We pray for those who have no families; that they be showered with Your blessings, for blessed are the poor in spirit, Lord God. We pray that all those who are lost, be found and adopted into this royal family, into the Kingdom of God. We pray for our assignments, authority, identity, and calling be revealed in its proper timing, Lord God, Your perfect timing. We pray that our hearts be softened to those You have chosen; and forgiveness flood our hearts with cleansing waters that leave room only for Your love and holiness, Lord God.
We pray this all in your beautiful and mighty name, Amen!