God’s Invisible Force

In August of 1972 a series of flares off the surface of the sun blasted x-ray emissions and solar ejecta toward the earth.

The energy they released so overwhelmed the earth’s own magnetic fields that auroras were visible as far south as Spain. This wave of energy was so powerful that it damaged communication equipment on satellites in space and caused radio blackouts on earth. Had an Apollo moon mission been in operation at the time, it could have been lethal to the astronauts.

There was one unforeseen effect of this blast of invisible energy. A large number of magnetically-sensitive Navy mines—dropped off the coast of Vietnam only three months earlier—detonated. Navy fighters in the area recall seeing dozens of explosions in the sea—all within a thirty-second period.

It’s interesting that an invisible force, from 93 million miles away, could suddenly bring to nothing the weapons of war.

Assyrian Army

This reminded me of the biblical passage in Psalm 46:8–10: “Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

These words were written in commemoration of the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian Army in the days of King Hezekiah. The Assyrian king had threatened to level Jerusalem to the ground and deport its inhabitants if they did not surrender. He even mocked the God of Israel. The king compared Him to the weak, ineffectual gods of the lands he had conquered. In response, King Hezekiah cried out to God for deliverance from the Assyrian army.

God, of course, heard the king’s prayer and dispatched one of His angels. This invisible messenger went forth and destroyed the army and its weapons—killing 185,000 enemy soldiers. The devastation equaled that of the Iraqi forces fleeing Kuwait at the conclusion of the Gulf War. The Assyrian king returned to his own land, incapable of waging war again (Isa. 36–37).

Star Trek

Perhaps this was the inspiration for the original Star Trek episode, “Errand of Mercy” (ep. 26). In this story, a very simple and seemingly helpless group of people, the Organians, are threatened by the Klingon Empire. As both Klingon and Federation forces converge above their planet, ready to wage war, the Organians themselves intervene. Far from being weak and defenseless, the Organians prove themselves as highly developed beings of pure energy. By a mere wave of their hand, they disable all the Klingon and Federation spacecraft—until the two belligerents call off their war and depart in peace.

Jesus

In the same way, the invisible voice of Jesus calmed the tempest and stilled the roaring waves (Mark 4:35–41). He sent His word, the Scripture says, and healed the sick and raised the dead (Ps. 107:20; Matt. 8:5–13; John 5:25, 28–29; 11:41–44). His voice also has the power to melt hardened hearts and heal broken ones. God’s invisible force can overthrow all the schemes of the wicked and suppress all their activity. No matter what weapons the enemy forms against you, God will send forth His invisible word to disable them and send your enemy fleeing (Isa. 54:17).

Instead of raising a fist to fight back, raise your voice in prayer, as Hezekiah did. God is infinitely better at fighting our battles than we are. Indeed, the Scripture tells us, the battle is not ours but God’s and He will fight for us, if we let Him (2 Chron. 20:15–17).

PRAYER:

Almighty and Merciful Father, I am finished fighting my own battles and agonizing to resolve my own problems. Instead I seek Your divine power and assistance to help me in my turmoil. Please, dear Father, fight this battle for me. Speak Your command, O God, and defuse my conflict. Send Your word, O Lord, and heal my situation. I trust in Your invisible power to do what I cannot do—to soften hardened hearts, to comfort troubled souls, and to calm tempestuous waters. Amen.