RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

Moses was a man mightily used of God. But there was one great lesson he had to learn before God could make his life a great instrument in His hands. He needed to know that the work of God had to be done in the power of God. Moses had to go to school in the Midianite desert to learn that great lesson: God’s work must be done in the power of God’s Spirit — and not in the power of the human flesh.
When Moses was in Egypt during the first forty years of his life, he was young and powerful. He grew up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He tried to do the right thing in helping his Hebrew brethren, but he failed miserably. When he saw an Egyptian mistreating his Hebrew kinsmen, he killed that Egyptian and hid him in the sand. But his actions only brought more suffering to his people. He fled to the Midianite desert. There he learned to work in the power of God’s Spirit.
After his encounter with God on the mountain, Moses would never be the same. He went back to Egypt and was God’s instrument to bring freedom to his people. But he didn’t return in his own strength. He came back to Egypt in the authority and might of God’s Spirit. Only then did he became a useful instrument in the hands of a mighty God. Only when he had learned to work in the power of God’s Spirit was he enabled to be all God wanted him to be.
When I first became a Christian, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Billy Graham. People said he was being used as God’s man for this generation. I traveled to Houston to hear Dr. Graham speak in the Astrodome, a huge indoor stadium. As I listened to him, I must admit, I thought, What’s so special about this guy? He’s a decent speaker, but he’s not that great. Having been trained in public oratory, I didn’t see anything special about Dr. Graham.
When he came to the invitation for people to come to Christ, I remember praying, “O God, help him not to feel too bad if no one comes forward to accept Christ.” Was I ever surprised! Thousands went to the front of the platform to pray with Dr. Graham. I’m ashamed to admit what I thought next. If thousands were coming to Christ through a somewhat better than average speaker, then the whole world would turn to Christ when they heard me speak!
I was in for a second great surprise! Soon after that, I had the opportunity to preach an evangelistic meeting. I used every oratory skill I could possibly muster. I had an intriguing introduction, a solid body of thoughts, and a very dramatic conclusion. I used all of the right voice inflections and made gestures at the right moments. When I gave the invitation, do you know what happened? Nothing!
You see, there was something Dr. Graham knew that I didn’t. The work of God must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit — and not the power of the human flesh. It’s not our abilities, but His, that will get the job done. Our responsibility is to be available to Him. If we are available, He will use us. Just as Moses had to learn that the work of God has to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, I too had to learn this great lesson.
Many of us want to work for God. If we are to be effective in the kingdom, we must learn to work in the power of the Spirit of God. Our walk in the Spirit enables us to live victoriously. Our work in the Spirit enables us to accomplish His will. The result will be joy in seeing His will accomplished through our works and His enablement. What God said to the prophet of old is still true: It’s “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).