Mowing the grass for a single mom.

This particular woman has her own lawn mower for me to use. There is an electric one for the back yard, which is too steep for a tractor/mower. At first It was very difficult and took a lot of energy, but I found out the electric mower had push assist and drives itself. The difference between using the mower without the push assist and with it is distinct; The Lord reminded me of the Holy Spirit with this.

Using the lawn mower without the push assist is similar to living life without the power of The Holy Spirit. When we are not empowered through God’s Holy Spirit, we will not prevail. I think of Samson, who when he had long hair, was empowered through God; but when he gave up his secret and it was cut, he failed. In Judges we read,

"And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, there hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man...

...And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, the philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that The LORD was departed from him. But the philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." [Judges 16:16-17; 19-21]

We see that Samson was only strong when He was strong through The LORD. As soon as The LORD departed from him, he was powerless to defend himself. The same concept is repeated very often in scripture:

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of The LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright." [Psa 20:6-7]

"There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of The LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for The LORD: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name." [Psa 33:16-21]

"For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my King, O God; command deliverances for Jacob. Through Thee we will push down our enemies: through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Selah." [Psa 44:3-8]

We must, as Paul, “labor, contending according to His energy, which is displaying activity in me in power.” [Col 1:29] Through Paul’s example, we see that we are to contend/strive according to the energy which God provides. The Lord, through His Holy Spirit, provides us with energy, with ability/power, and we, as good stewards of that grace, work. As The LORD says in Haggai,

"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts..." [Hag 2:4]

And again in Zechariah,

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth." [Zech 4:6-10]

In both passages, The LORD is speaking to Zerubbabel, urging him to work on building the temple. The LORD tells him that though his hands will be doing the work, the real power behind it all will be The Holy Spirit. And so it is in our lives as well: we must strive according to the power which The Holy Spirit provides. We must not go out in our own strength or power, for if we do we will fail; but we must work and live by The Holy Spirit’s power.

Post: Raised Paths

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