March 3

“Every machine of man’s making is intended to operate by some definite sort of power:  manpower, water power, or some other method....We are made to go by Holy Spirit power, and we cannot go right without it.  If we try to work ourselves by our own power, we will utterly fail, for we have no natural powers that can control spiritual forces.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets of the Christian Life, 3/3

This is one of those Truths we human-powered beings must be reminded of constantly.  We can start out on Holy Spirit power, but as soon as our “bike” gets rolling we automatically, without thinking, start pedaling in our own strength.  Herein lies our problem: without thinking.  Because we live in a human-powered world it is easy to forget from where we receive our power so we must always have our minds geared to Whose we are.  This may require “shifting into the proper gear” so that we aren’t using our muscle power to propel the bike up the incline.  Instead, our feet merely keep the momentum going as the pedal responds to the gears.  Yes, our muscles will be used, but they aren’t carrying the full burden.  In our spiritual life we may be called to shift into a higher gear of prayer to see us through an uphill climb or into a lower gear of resting in His care as the road dips downward.  Through it all, we must never forget our Source of power. 

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;”  Acts 1:8a