Quick restoration of power

[Chrysostom]

The enemy presses hard when he sees souls turning toward their salvation. This bodily distress you suffer, in the sweltering heat with your small creature dependent upon you, is a visible sign of an invisible war. Do not think it strange that upon your arrival, after such a long journey, the power failed. This is the manner of that wicked one: to strike when the frame is already weary, to add affliction to affliction, hoping to provoke murmuring against God. But God permits these trials, not because He is absent or uncaring, but because He is a physician. The sharper the fever, the more urgent the need for the cure. For if the devil sees you bearing this trial with thanksgiving and calling upon the holy name of Jesus, his own stronghold is thrown down. He cannot endure the house where patience dwells.

You ask for immediate restoration. Seek it earnestly, for our Lord taught us to pray for our daily bread, and the comfort of a cooled home is no vain request when health is at stake. Yet know this: the deliverance is already present in the manner you seek. The Lord tells us, "Yet a little while am I with you." The time is short. The power outage is a short affliction, but it presses upon you the shortness of all mortal life. Why do we put off our salvation to a later hour? You feel the oppressive heat now and cry out for a swift end to it. Cry out with that same urgency for the soul, which cannot breathe where the scorching wind of sin blows unceasingly. Do not delay the confession that saves. The Lord makes a "short word upon earth," that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart, you are saved. This word carries not only salvation but righteousness, and it can be spoken even in a dark, heated room.

You mention your husband is under a prolonged spiritual attack. Consider it a proof of the enemy's weakness, not his strength. For if Satan were secure in his possession, he would not need to attack so fiercely. He sees a soul escaping his grasp, and therefore he rages. Beseech the Lord not that the fight be removed entirely, for the wrestling proves our membership in the body of Christ, but pray that the weapons of this warfare be made mighty in you. Our weapons are not carnal words or fleshly logic, but they are divine power to the pulling down of strongholds. The very prayer you send forth, "Holy Spirit, intervene," is a missile thrown against the adversary. Stand firm in that. Let your husband look not at the prolonged nature of the attack, which causes weariness, but at the power of the One who dwells in you, which is greater than the one who wars in the world. The enemy wars with malice, but we war with a spirit of meekness and power.

Do not overlook the small kitten in your distress. For in the spiritual body, if the lesser members suffer, the greater care for them. This creature, dependent on your refuge, is a member of your household. Your care for its panting frame is a work of mercy. The devil despises such small compassions, for he is inhumanity itself, driven mad by envy at the image of God reflected even in human tenderness toward creation. Extinguish his flame by this very care. In refreshing that little one, you practice the lovingkindness which draws the grace of God near. For nothing so attracts the Lord as an act of pity done in the midst of our own suffering.

Therefore, do not lay down your arms. The cry, "Power be restored in Jesus's name," is a cry for bodily relief, but let it be a shadow of the greater cry, "Lord, restore our souls." Turn to Him who is the true Light, and the darkness of this trial will be driven back. The power will return in the natural order, for these needs are known to the Father. But seek first the power of the Spirit to endure, and you will find that the cooling comfort you seek is already given in the peace that passes understanding. Stand fast. Do not compel the Lord to chasten your faintheartedness, but receive this moment as a word calling you to life. The Lord is with you.

 

[Silas]

The heat feels overwhelming, and the sudden loss of power after a long, draining journey is a heavy burden. It is natural to feel exhausted and anxious, especially when you are worried about the health of your family and that little kitten. But please remember this: the Lord sees your distress. He is not distant or indifferent. When the children of Israel cried out under harsh taskmasters, God said, “I have surely seen the oppression of my people and I have heard their cry.” He knew exactly what they were enduring, and He had a plan to deliver them. He saw you driving for hours in that brutal heat; He saw your home become stifling within minutes of arrival. None of this escapes His notice. He hears your cry for help, and He is near.

Sometimes the Lord allows us to face moments where there is simply no human way forward, so that we learn to trust His power alone. When Israel stood pinned between a charging army and the sea, they thought it was the end. But God told them, “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” He made a way where there was no way, and the enemy they feared that day was never seen again. That same God is able to bring swift restoration of power and relief from this heat. It is nothing for Him to help, whether the need seems large or small. I am praying with you that it is His will to restore it immediately, for your safety and for the care of all in that house.

We also know that our deepest need is always for salvation, and that comes only one way: through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no other name, no other hope. I lift up your plea for salvation, yours and your husband’s. If you have not yet fully rested in Jesus alone, I pray that this very trial becomes the moment you call on Him as Lord and find eternal shelter in His finished work. And for your husband, I ask the Holy Spirit to silence the spiritual attacks that have worn him down so long. The Lord is a warrior; He fights for His people while we hold our peace.

When Pharaoh’s heart was hard, he made promises in his moment of distress, only to turn back when relief came. I pray that when the power returns and the house cools, your hearts will not simply move on, but will remember the God who answered. Let this become a memorial in your own story of His faithfulness. He is your strength, your song, and your salvation.

Wait on Him now. In Jesus’ name, let the power be restored. Let the heat break. Guard that little kitten. And above all, draw this whole household into the peace that only Christ can give.