You’re going to get a charge out of today’s devotional. This is National Battery Day. I think we forget how much of our lives are dependent on batteries. Today, I was changing batteries in the smoke alarm. My cell phone is powered by a battery. Flashlights? Battery. Television remote? Battery. Watch? Battery. My vehicle? It’s not going to start without a battery. Take a moment to look around your house and notice how many things are dependent on a battery of some sort.
In 1745, Leyden Jars stored static electricity. It was Ben Franklin who coined the term “battery” for a series of connected Leyden Jars. “In 1800, Alessandro Volta created the first true battery, known as the voltaic pile, which consisted of alternating discs of zinc and copper separated by layers of brine-soaked cardboard. This marked the beginning of practical batteries that could produce a steady electric current.”1
Battery technology has continued to improve. The 20th century saw the introduction of nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion batteries. The size of batteries continues to shrink with N-type button cell batteries being the smallest available commercially, powering micro-electronics and hearing aids. Micro and nano-batteries no bigger than a grain of sand are also available, used for small devices like sensors and medically implanted devices.
Wouldn’t it be fun if we could bring back Ben Franklin and Alessandro Volta so that they could see how their original inventions have evolved? Imagine their shock and wonder! And they would really be blown away with the newest development: the nuclear diamond battery (NCD). In theory, it is designed to last 28,000 years. The cost is $20/nano watt.2 That doesn’t seem bad at first glance. However, a nano watt equals 10-9 watts. The cost to replace one AA battery that generates approximately .15 watts would be $3 billion. Obviously, this isn’t going to be mass produced any time soon!
Now, all the batteries out there that are affordable require recharging or replacing eventually. Even the NCD would need replaced. Have you ever thought, though, that YOUR personal batteries need recharged?
I have some cordless power tools and as the battery is depleted, I lose lights on the
indicator – 4, 3, 2, 1, dead. In your vehicle, you might notice your lights aren’t as bright as they’ve been, they flicker, and the car starts with a sluggish turning of the engine. Before long, a battery icon light appears on the dash. Physically, we get fatigued after a busy day and we fight to stay awake. We have all these indicators to warn us that the battery is getting low. What indicators do we have to show that our spiritual battery is getting low?
- We don’t have time to be in the Bible.
- When we are, the Scripture doesn’t sink in.
- We have little or no desire to pray.
- Negative thoughts and complaining consume us.
- We are easily offended.
- Sin doesn’t evoke sorrow.
- We don’t really care if we go to church or stay home.
- There’s no desire to tell others about Jesus.
Sounds like we need to get plugged in and recharged!
We are reminded in Acts 17:24-25, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” God is the source of the life – the energy we need to get through a day.
Even before we plug into God’s Word, might I suggest we plug into prayer? Let’s acknowledge before God with our remaining strength that we are in desperate need of a recharge. Admit to Him that we’ve allowed ourselves to get run down and haven’t taken care to prevent this. Then, echo the words of the Psalmist from your heart.
Psalms 25:1, 4-5 “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul… (4) Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. (5) Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”
Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: (24) And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalms 63:1-3 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (2) To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (3) Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”
1Google Co-Pilot response to search for the history of batteries.
2https://www.sourcifychina.com/diamond-battery-price/
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