of power

"For the kingdom of God
is not a matter of talk,
but of power."
1 Corinthians 4:20

On the same evening that I was reading these words, my youngest daughter had one of her frequent bad dreams. And as I went in to her and put my hand on her to comfort her and to pray for her..... the reality of these words struck me. My prayer for her was not just words, it was God's power at work, right there in that room. The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power. What we read in the scriptures is not just words on a page..... what we read there is reality. Too often scipture is reduced to just a story, or some good moral lessons, or as the source for endless theological debates. These are all missing out on the truth. The kingdom of God is a matter of changed lives, of changed eternal destinies, of changed hearts, of changed actions....... of power.