Sorry for the late posting...
"I arise today
with God’s strength to pilot my course,
with God’s power to uphold me..."
After having sailed from his enslavement in Ireland with the crew of a ship, whom he described as "barbarian", he was at sea for three days. When they landed, the men traveled together overland through wilderness where they encountered no other humans for 4 weeks. Their food ran out and they became desperate to satisfy their hunger.
In their frustration, the others turned to Patrick with this indictment: "Why is it, Christian? You say your God is great and all-powerful; then why can you not pray for us? For we may perish of hunger; it is unlikely indeed that we shall ever see another human being." Patrick encouraged them to seek out the Lord for themselves and said, "because nothing is impossible for him, so that today he will send food for you on your road, until you be sated." That day, God sent a herd of wild pigs to them and saved the lot.
Patrick knew of the power of God and was bold to proclaim it. He knew that God had a plan and would exercise His will to draw these men to himself -- which, by the way, was the result.
How do we receive this power in our own lives? Acts 1:8 states, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."
We must rely upon the strength of God, experienced by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and not on our own power, to sustain us in the extremes of life. We are frail beings, made to depend upon the power of our creator. We who know Him, know this power is there, but too often forget that it is available to us.
It simply takes faith.
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