Marching Orders

Frances Ridley Havergal is remembered today--if she is remembered at all--for her hymns and poetry put she was also the author of devotional works.  She was fluent in German and French and nearly so in Italian.  She studied the Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture, and loved the Author with all her being.  Like her works, her life richly touched the ones near her and countless many who met or heard her.  The following excerpt from the book Starlight Through the Shadows shows how all power is resident in Jesus and that He is resident in all who belong to Him:

"'And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth, Go ye therefore.' -- MATTHEW, 28:18, 19.

"The Father is the source of all power.  For 'thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness and the power.'  The Holy Spirit is the Communicator of power, so that those who bring their emptiness to be filled with the Spirit may say: 'Truly, I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.'  But our Lord Jesus Christ is the Depositary of the power.  As in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so in Him is 'the hiding of His power' who has delivered all things unto the Son of His love.

"All power is given unto Him, our Saviour, our Master, absolutely, unlimitedly, eternally!  It is such a happy thought.  As love and knowledge gradually supplanted fear, how delighted, one might almost say how proud, the disciples must have been, as miracle after miracle revealed the power of Jesus of Nazareth.  Yet they did not know that He had all power.  We know it, for He has told us.  Do not our hearts respond, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power!'  'Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him!'

"All power is given unto Him.  First, power to give eternal life to as many as His Father has given Him; then power on earth to forgive sins; then power to uphold all things.  And these really include all power in heaven and earth.  All power.  For there is no other power at all.  'There is no power but of God.'  All else that seems power is but the impotent weakness, the unavailing spite, of a vanquished foe.  How quietly He disposes of it when He says, not to veteran apostles, but to His mere recruits:  'Behold, I give unto you power over all the power . . . of the enemy!'  What must the reserve be when this small delegated share is to overmatch 'all the power of the enemy!'

"All power is given unto Him.  Not to us, for we could neither receive it nor use it.  But to Him for us.  For 'all things are for your sakes.'  Joined to Him by faith we change our weakness into strength, for His power flows into us, and rests upon us.  It is not that our weakness is made a little stronger, but that His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  The power of the Head energizes the feeblest member.

"But our Master makes no barren statements of unresultful positions.  'All power is given unto Me.'  What then?  'Go ye therefore.'  Who will take Him at His word, and, relying upon Jesus as our great Depositary of power, say, 'I will go in the strength of the Lord'?"