ULTIMATE POWER AND DELEGATED POWER

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S; but the earth He has given to the children of men” – Psalm 115:16

ULTIMATE POWER belongs only to God, while Man is limited to DELEGATED POWER: “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Psa.115:3). God does not depend on an outside source to supply His power. He is the Source of all power and doesn’t need to acquire anything outside Himself. God has the ability to make happen anything He wants to make happen. Spurgeon said: “The mightiest of men cannot add so much as a shadow of increased power to the Omnipotent One. He sits on no buttressed throne and leans on no assisting arm. His court is not maintained by His courtiers, nor does it borrow its splendor from His creatures. He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power.”

God does not derive legitimacy from any other entity. He’s not like an earthly king, whose power comes from the subjects. Without either the willing or coerced consent of the people, earthly kings possess no power. In order to act, he needs to be able move generals, authorities, armies, and resources in a way that accomplishes his purposes. Earthly monarchs have no ultimate power in themselves. Their power depends on the actions of their subordinates. If the people refuse to pay taxes, soldiers refuse to be fight, or police refuse to enforce the law, the power of an earthly king can diminish or be deleted overnight! God is whole and complete in and of Himself. He draws no resources, power, or authority from His creatures. Without people, He would still be all powerful. That’s why, in the Bible, “almighty” is never used to describe anything other than God!

All human power is delegated power. The limited power we possess to move things or people into action is not really ours. Any power we use ultimately belongs to God. “Power belongs to God” means that all the power we have is derived from God. We have power “on loan from God.” As the Source of all power, He delegates it to creation while needing nothing from His creation to sustain His power perfectly. God delegates Power, yet it never diminishes. God is not like a car battery that runs out of charge. He releases power all day long, all year long, and all eternity long, yet He never has to recharge: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (Isa.40:28). Oh, how awesome is His Power!

God delegates power to His creation without subtracting from His perfection. He delegates power but never gives power away! When He releases power to an archangel or pours out power on a person, He still retains that power. God can’t give any of Himself away. He can’t relinquish His power because if He did, He’d be less powerful than He was before; hence, He would not be perfect. The God of the Bible does not ever run down. God still has the same amount of power that He had before He created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the angels and humankind. He currently possesses and will forever possess all power!

Your response then is to respect and trust His Ultimate Power, while as a faithful steward you use His delegated power to serve and glorify Him. His Power, put alongside His love for you, is the great antidote against fear. Your feeble burdens are too light for Him to uphold. He will carry your burdens with ease. He will carry you when nothing else can. He who controls creation “by the word of His power” can surely help you in your time of need (Heb.1:3). Even with such awesome power, God chose to be personal with you. Despite His power and authority, God invites you to call him “Father” – “Our Father in heaven” (Mt.6:9). God does not use His power as an excuse to separate Himself from you. Instead He invites you to intimately share your life and desires with Him.