Power For The Powerless

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

In 1887, the English historian Lord Acton wrote a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in which he penned these now-famous words: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Drawing on Lord Acton’s words, present-day writer and actor Harry Shearer has wondered, “If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute powerlessness make you pure?”

Both those extremes—absolute power and absolute powerlessness—were illustrated in the life of the king of ancient Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. He was a man in whose hands resided absolute power. But his absolute power had corrupted him, and he did not fear God. When a series of dreams left him confused and disconcerted, Nebuchadnezzar found himself powerless. He had no idea what the dreams meant, nor did his wisest advisers. He ultimately found himself humbled before the God of Israel, who gave the interpretation to His prophet, Daniel.

When we find ourselves powerless in the face of life’s circumstances, our best recourse is to confess our weakness to God and rely on His power and wisdom alone.

O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.

GEORGE MATHESON