Not by Might

How well I remember as a child, standing on the last verse and chorus of the old camp-meeting song, “Not by Might,” during the Sunday night service. The song leader would call us to our feet and upon finishing the last verse we would close our hymnals (Melodies of Praise; then) and clap as we sang:

Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
Not by Might, not by Power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!
This mountain shall be removed! This mountain shall be removed!
This mountain shall be removed! By My Spirit saith the Lord!

It was a fun song in the early 1970’s and especially enjoyable with 300 voices lifted to the top of their range, bellowing out triumphantly, “this mountain shall be removed!” But honestly, what mountains did I as a nine or ten year old have? What did I know about my need for the Holy Spirit, for His Divine enabling? The biggest mountain I had was the stress of learning spelling bee words or getting enough tips on my paper route to buy french fries at Burger King or the weather report that promised rain that threatened to wash out tomorrow’s little league game. Not exactly big mountains! But something as a child was being imparted into my spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit could bring down big mountains in my way!

Today I know what mountains are! A parishioner racked with a terminal illness, a hopeless man who has tried repeatedly to gain victory but cannot, a job lost, a marriage breaking, a sleepless night that turns into days and weeks, a sense of fear or dread, or the pain of a parent whose wayward child appears to be lost forever. These are real mountains! As Tozer wrote, “Is it not now plain that the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God, far from being an optional luxury in our Christian lives, is a necessity?” How thankful I am for a heritage that has taught me, even when my mountains were in reality molehills, that by the power of God’s Spirit, my mountain can be removed!