The words "potato battery" have come up more than once on our homeschooling journey... Whether it's the annual science fair or someone experimenting in the kitchen, apparently turning a potato into a battery is actually a thing.
There are YouTube videos on how to make a potato battery, kits sold via the internet for 29.95 to explore the electric producing power of a potato. You can make a "clock" from a potato battery, sciencebuddies.com will show you how to "produce electricity from produce" apparently they don't limit this phenomenon to just potatoes! I even found multi week unit studies called "Potato Power". Potatoes truly can produce electricity!
So this morning I got up and plugged my laptop into a potato.... and guess what - nothing happened. I felt a little miffed that my laptop didn't power on! After a little more research I discovered that each potato can contribute up to .5 volts, while my laptops lithium ion battery is actually 15 volts. SO - if I had 30 or so average potatoes I could potentially power my laptop for about 3 days - or until the potatoes went bad. I think I'll go buy some potatoes....
At this point you likely think I have lost my mind, how silly would you have to be to purchase potatoes to power your laptop!! Yet, that is what we do- day after day - when we plug into the wrong source of energy in our own lives.
1Peter 1:23-25
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
One thing I learned when looking up things about "potato power" is that there is actually a group of people who research this and really believe that plants can power everything in our lives. They are dedicated to the study of the power of plants.
Can you imagine how excited these scientists would be if they discovered a plant that would provide power, forever? It would be all over the news, everyone would be talking about it, everyone would be buying that plant, caring for it, watering it, feeding it.
We have, at our fingertips, the word of God - which "abides forever" and "endures forever" and we are not studying it! We treat it like it's optional. We look around and see all the things in our lives that will last for a moment - all the things that will wither and fall away and we run to embrace them!
We have the ability to plug in to a power source that "endures forever" Plugging into anything else is the equivalent of powering a laptop with potatoes - it is simply foolish.
...and yet we do it all the time, everyday.
When we are upset, do we take it to the Lord or do we take it to a friend in gossip?
When we feel distraught, do we cry out to him in prayer or do we cry out online and post?
When we are afraid, do we talk to Jesus or do we cower and give a place to anxiety?
When we are lonely, do we spend time with our Beloved, or do we scroll social media and compare?
When we are angry, do we hand it over to the Lord, or do we try to take control?
We know this already, we know that we have to plug into the source of life everlasting, and yet, we love our personal potatoes so much that we argue their benefit! We defend plugging into potatoes!
"There's nothing wrong with talking to her, she's my friend"
"I post online because I don't have anyone else to talk to - what would you have me do?"
"Its perfectly normal to feel this way"
"It's my (husband, family, child) fault I feel alone"
"Anyone would react like this"
Is this really how we want to live? We know that all these things will wither and fade away and that as a believer we were made, and remade - for more than this!
Our friends, our social media followers, our rationalizations and justifications are small potatoes compared to the power of God, but if we don't learn to plug into the source of LIFE, we are going to find ourselves spiritually dead!
John 15:5 - 11If we will give up our potatoes, the things we love, the things we think give us power - we gain some truly powerful promises!
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Jesus promises we will enjoy a productive life - he will give us new fruit that isn't going to spoil!
We will be able to ask for our desires, which will align with His, and receive them!
His love will abide in us!
We will keep His commandments - and we will be better equipped to keep them because we are filled with His love!
We will be filled with joy!.
This is the real power we need to plug into! Jesus is also very clear that without him, without this real source of power, we can do nothing! The Greek word translated “nothing” is oudeis, from ou (meaning “not”) and heis (meaning “one”). Literally it means “not one thing.”
Jesus tells his disciples that he is their life source - the power for their lives (the vine). They are the recipients of that vital energy (the branches). What they accomplish in life (the fruit) is only accomplished because of the connection they have to Him. Then He says - If you are not connected to me, you can’t do one single thing!
You might stop right there and think... but wait, lots of people do things, lots of people accomplish lots of things and certainly they are not all connected to Jesus.
To understand this concept, we are going to do a "word" study =)
Anytime you see the word "word" highlighted, please understand that the emphasis is mine.
The book of John begins with...
John 1:1-5 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.Jesus is telling his disciples and us that HE is the foundation of life, He is the source of all life and all creation, all accomplishment. The things of this world will wither, they will fade - but the Word of God will endure forever. Not one single thing was brought into creation without Jesus direct involvement, and as disciples, we are to live life knowing that not one single thing will be accomplished without Him.
1Peter 1:22-25
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
The "Word" in 1 Peter 1:23 and John 1:1 - is the same word which is - Logos, many scholars believe it should be left untranslated as an actual name of God. I highlighted it in purple for this very reason. The WORD is a name. Everything we hope to accomplish can only be accomplished because of and through, Him - the Word - Jesus!
The second "word" 1 Peter 1:25 is rhema - meaning a spoken utterance, a specific word, it can reference a word of law, a definitive word. When it is used in this passage - it means the definitive word of God. God has the final word! This word is also used in Ephesians 6:17
Ephesians 6:10-18God has the final word, it is a specific and definitive word.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
God gives us the power, through his Word and his word to meet every challenge that comes our way.
Our power isn't from potatoes. We won't find the answers to the longings of our heart in the things of this world. We can only find them when we plug into the power source for which we were designed. My laptop was not made to run on potatoes, it was designed to operate with a lithium ion battery, we were not made to run on our own, to run to the fleeting things of this world, or even to run to our friends. We love them, but we were not designed for them. We were designed, created, from the foundation of the world, to be for God, grafted into His vine, and we can do nothing, not one thing, apart from Him.
Each summer my family takes a break. We take a break from social media, from busyness from almost everything. We literally unplug the computer, the television and we spend time - usually at least a week, but sometimes more, refocusing on the Word. This time of separation from the normal everyday hectic, distracted, living of life - helps us to reset, unwind, and to water roots that grow deep into the Lord and to spend time in His word. We take this time apart to help us remember that apart from Him -we can do not one single thing. It is my desire that each person who reads this blog will also take that time to remember, to unplug from all the distractions, all the potatoes of life, and rediscover the infinite power source we have in Jesus.
Many Blessings,
Amanda
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