Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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It was a hot July day some years ago in Washington D.C., and I had a great experience! Sixteen thousand Christian teenagers massed on the Capitol Mall with Capitol Hill right behind us, and we were having the closing rally.
The speaker was ready to speak, a music group was ready to play, and of course, the sound system was crucial to all of this to make anything heard on that massive mall. And would you believe it, an hour before this there was a massive power failure in that whole part of Washington D.C. As you were driving around, all of a sudden all the federal office buildings were emptying out, and people were standing out on the steps by the thousands.
Some folks were trapped in elevators between floors; the subways all stopped. They couldn't even make the electric bell work that convenes the United States Senate. This is true! That day they convened the Senate by banging on a trash can. Somebody said they thought that was appropriate in the Senate, but you know, they got the Senate together whatever way they could. But you know, even without any power, the rally went on. You know why? Well, because the day before they had located a giant generator just in case. And so while the rest of Washington D.C. had no power, we did, because we were depending on another power source.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "What To Do When There's a Power Failure."
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 1, and I'm reading beginning in verse 31. It's when the angel appeared to Mary, the virgin from Nazareth, telling her she would be the virgin mother of the Messiah. "The angel said, 'You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.'" In verse 34 comes the understandable reaction, "'How will this be since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.'"
Well, there was nothing in Mary's experience, or her ability, or her background that could answer her question, "How will this be?" How could this possibly happen? Apparently, there was an insurmountable gap between the ability and the assignment that God gave her. But then, you've been there, haven't you? I have many times. The assignment is larger than my ability.
Maybe what God is giving you to do right now is bigger than your ability to do it. Maybe like what your role as a mom or dad is demanding of you, the needs of your family right now. And you look at that job and you say, "How will this be?" "How can I do it?"
Maybe it's just looking ahead at an impossible week, or a work you're doing for the Lord, and you say, "How can little ol' me handle big ol' this?" "How can this be?" Your assignment right now could be an illness, an injury, singleness, maybe single parenting, or a time of loss or loneliness. I don't know your situation, but I know your question. It's the same as Mary, "How will this be?"
There's a gap between the assignment and the ability, but the answer is the same as it was then, "The Holy Spirit will..." The Holy Spirit of Almighty God will be the difference between the size of the assignment and the size of your ability. You see, the bearing of the Christ child had nothing to do with Mary's capabilities. It was the capability of the Holy Spirit that would make her assignment doable...and yours.
When the power failed for everyone else in Washington D.C. that day, it didn't stop us. We were depending on another power source. And that's where you are right now. Your power will fail before you can get through what lies ahead. But the generator of the Holy Spirit will just keep on running, and that power is enough!