Give Me Power by Eliza H. Morton

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 3, 1914

Give Me Power

By Eliza H. Morton

GIVE me power!" exclaimed a lad as he threw down a book he had been reading. His mother, hearing the remark, examined the book, and found it was the life of Alexander the Great, and she asked, "Why do you desire power?"

"O," replied the boy, "the power to conquer the world is something to be desired."

"We will study the Bible this evening, and find out what it says about power," said the mother, for she had a habit of referring her children to that good Book for information on almost every subject in which they were interested.

"All right," replied the boy, for he loved the evening Bible studies, and was sure that something very interesting was in store for him.

When evening came, the entire family,—Mr. and Mrs. Brown, their daughter, Kate, their son, Will, and the hired servant, Martha,—gathered about the table, with Bibles in their hands.

Mr. Brown opened the study with the remark that "it is natural for the human heart to desire power." He then said: "We will find whence comes all power. Please read Rom. 13:1 for an answer."

Will read, "For there is no power but of God."

"The devil has power," said Kate, with a smile.

"Yes," replied the father, "for we read in Acts 26:18 that Christ came to turn men from the power of Satan."

"Then Christ must have had power," remarked Mrs. Brown. "Whence came His power?"

"If there is no power but of God, then the devil as well as Christ received power from God," said Martha, pleased that she could have part in the discussion.

"And that is true," replied Mr. Brown, "as you will see from John 5:19, which says that 'the Son can do nothing of Himself.' Who can tell what there is in the life of Job which shows that Satan had no power over him only as God permitted?"

"I think," said Kate, "that when God gave all that Job had into the hand of Satan, He told him to spare Job's life. That was certainly giving him great power."

"Why did God do that?" asked Will, with a puzzled look on his face.

"God permitted Satan," said Mr. Brown, "to use his power to test and try Job. He sometimes permits him to bring trials upon us for the same purpose, but there is a limit beyond which Satan can not go. God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear. 1 Cor. 10:13."

"God will permit Satan, in the last days, just before the coming of Christ, to work with great power and signs and lying wonders," said Mrs. Brown. "Can you tell why He will do that?"

"I think," said Martha, "that it will be to cause men and women to search their Bibles in order to be able to know truth from error. I remember that it says somewhere in the Scripture, 'To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.'"

"Yes," replied Mr. Brown, with an approving smile. "The verse you quoted is Isa. 8:20. It certainly is important to be able to detect error."

"The wicked have power," said Mrs. Brown. "Alexander the Great was a wicked man, and he had world-wide power."

"Yes," said Mr. Brown. "The power which they have is transmitted to them by Satan. Ps. 37:35 says, 'I have seen the wicked in great power.' The power which they have is God's power perverted by Satan."

"How does it come to them?" asked Kate. "What do they do to receive it?"

"God permits them to have that which they will to have," said Mr. Brown.

"But they must eventually pay the price. 'The wages of sin is death.' God will destroy them root and branch. Mal. 4:1. God never forces the human will. Whosoever will, may come to Him; and whosoever will not come, must suffer the consequences. 2 Peter 2:5, 6."

"I do not want the power that Alexander the Great had," remarked Will.

Mrs. Brown did not seem to notice the remark, but asked: "What about the righteous? Do they have power?"

"Indeed they do," exclaimed Mr. Brown. "The power of God working in us will enable us 'to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' Eph. 3:20. It is the privilege of the righteous to have great power through the Holy Spirit. Micah 3:8."

"How may it be received?" asked Kate.

"It comes by faith (Eph. 3:16, 17), to those who are willing to receive it. Ps. 110:3. It is our privilege to know 'the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,'" read Mr. Brown from his open Bible.

"I see," exclaimed Will enthusiastically. "Faith will make us dynamos for God. His power will work through us exceedingly. That is better than to have the power that Alexander the Great had."

ELIZA H. MORTON.