RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

Chapter 11: God is All-Powerful

God exercises His infinite power in keeping with what He deems good, just, loving, and kind.

We have all desired to change circumstances or outcomes for what we deemed would be better or just. We may have sought to see an illness cured, a broken object fixed, or an oppressor judged. We did not have the power to immediately effect these desired results so we took medicine in hope of curing the illness, employed tools to attempt a repair, or took steps to see the person who wronged us face justice. Often we would be successful in our endeavors, but not always. And even when we were successful it was not within the time frame we wanted, and it involved a great deal of frustration. Our will and efforts were hampered by things outside of us; by things beyond our control or power.

What can be said of God as respects His will and His power? Is anything ultimately outside His control? If He determines a certain thing should actually come to pass, does He encounter resistance outside of Himself? The answer is clear.

God’s power is infinite, and nothing is impossible with Him. He is not subject to restraints outside Himself. As scripture says:

Nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37

If God so willed, He could cure an illness, raise the dead, stop the earth’s rotation, or darken the sun. He could cause something that does not exist to materialize, and something that does exist cease to be. Nothing is too hard for Him.

God rules all things and does as He pleases. In keeping with His own purposes, He accomplishes that which He deems fitting.

Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalm 135:6
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3
For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, “My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9–10

God’s power is revealed through the vastness and immensity of His creation. As one writer in scripture testifies, God’s “invisible attributes” of being an all powerful God have been “evident” or “clearly visible” since the creation. And these attributes are understood through “what has been made,” namely, the created universe.

That which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. Romans 1:19–20

And another writer speaks poetically of the stellar heavens which tell of the mighty power and glory of God.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1–6

One prophet exclaims:

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. Jeremiah 32:17

And of Himself God says:

To whom then will you liken Me …? Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:25–26

When one contemplates all the forces in the universe, it is absolutely astonishing. The power of one star such as the sun in our solar system is beyond comprehension. Whether it be considered from the gravitational, electromagnetic or nuclear perspective, the power is exceedingly immense.

And this is just our sun.

If you were to take the countless number of stars over all time and consider the combined power of them all, it defies any comprehensible form of measurement. But such is the power of almighty God.

God’s power is incapable of being exhausted or even diminished. When considering creation one may think exercising the power to create the universe would in some way weaken God. But such is not the case. As it is written:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. Isaiah 40:28

The creation account is revealed in the book of Genesis. Over a period of several days, God engages in various forms of creative activity after which we are told He “rested.” But this word should in no way be interpreted to mean God became weary, but simply that He ceased from the particular creative activity in view. God’s power is infinite, inexhaustible, and knows no bounds.

God’s power is only directed and limited by His other attributes. This is true with respect to everything in creation. Whether it be the sun giving light, the clouds sending forth rain or the earth producing fruit, it is God who is at work. And when it comes to catastrophes such as tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, or plagues, these things take place not because God lacks the power to stop them or is indifferent towards the misery caused by them. Rather it is that God, in keeping with His just, righteous, wise character, determined the dynamics involved in those catastrophes play out to those devastating ends. Natural catastrophes were not part of God’s original creation, and they do not have the ability to bring themselves into existence or sustain themselves. They occur because an all-powerful God determined they should be part of a world that is in rebellion against Him.

God’s power is directed and limited by His other attributes in relation to man as well. In man, God created beings who are capable of defying His moral will. In such defiance, men are doing what God does not want them to do. But men can only follow through with such defiance as God wills to give them the breath and strength to do so. And God willing to grant that breath and strength in no way means He morally approved of the evil act or took pleasure in it. Rather it means for reasons in keeping with His just, righteous, wise character, He determined the act take place. So ultimately no matter how determined men may be to effect their evil schemes, it is ultimately God and not man who determines whether that scheme actually plays out.

Man cannot overpower God’s decrees. An evil man may not view his actions as criminal, and he may resist being arrested and dragged to an earthly court. He may also disagree with the judge over the character of his evil actions, and the sentence pronounced against him. He may seek to escape his prison sentence or the death penalty by appealing to a higher court, bribing the judge, or overcoming those guarding him and escaping. But all such tactics would be futile against almighty God. As the King of kings there would be no higher court. As the righteous One He could not be bribed. And as the all powerful One, if He has determined there will be a day when every man will stand before Him to give account, then that day cannot be avoided. And if in that appearance God passes sentence, it is within His power to carry it out, and that sentence could not be evaded or resisted: there would be no escape. Of Himself God says:

There is no one who can deliver from My hand. Deuteronomy 32:39
Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it? Isaiah 43:13

And prophets and godly people say of God:

He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?” Daniel 4:35
Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered. 1 Samuel 2:10
Consider the work of God, For who is able to straighten what He has bent? Ecclesiastes 7:13
Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. 2 Chronicles 20:6
The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind. Daniel 4:25

God’s ultimate purposes cannot be thwarted, sabotaged, resisted, or overruled. If He has determined that something will be, it indeed will be.

God has displayed His infinite power to you your whole life. It has been evident every day and night as you observed His marvelous creation. It is God who gives you the breath to remain alive, the mind with which to conceive thoughts and set goals, and the strength to attempt to achieve those goals. He grants this even when you choose to act in ways that are directly opposed to Him. His choosing to let you engage in those rebellious acts, as well as be subjected to rebellious acts by others, is in keeping with His other traits of righteousness, justice, and love. God has the power to overcome any obstacle and resolve any difficulty you may face — nothing is impossible for Him.

from The Nature and Character of God

Learn more ...