Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers
"Exceeding Abundantly"
How easy it is is to limit the power and ability of God! We say - or perhaps think - things like this:
"She will never be converted."
"That person will never get over their grief."
"That stubborn sin will never wash away."
"That church plant won't survive.
"He will never change."
"We'll never be able to afford that new Gospel worker."
And so on! We have all limited God's power, have we not?
Well in today's A-Z of Salvation, we come to X, but instead of X, we've chosen a word in the KJV of the Bible, the word "Exceeding" found in Ephesians 3:21-22.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more (in the KJV "exceeding abundantly") than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:21-22)
The NIV translation has used the two words "immeasurably more," to get over the magnitude of what God is able to do, while the KJV has used "Exceeding abundantly."
With either translation we get the point - that God is able to do far more than we can either ask or imagine! How? By his mighty power that is at work within us, which back in chapter 1 Paul says is "like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him form the dead..." (1:19-20)
Let's try to take all this in!
Resurrection Power is at work in Us
Don't listen the lies of Satan who would have us believe that we are weak, that the Gospel is impotent and that the church is powerless. Paul says that the power that is working in us is the same kind of power that was working in Jesus' dead body to raise him from the dead. That is very great power is it not?
The Christian life is lived out day by day with the mighty power of God to help and assist. The Christian life is supernatural from first to last. Power to bear fruit. Power to love. Power to be holy. Power to serve.
More Power than we can imagine or ask
But we limit divine power at work in and through us in two ways, says Paul. First, by how much (or how little!) we can imagine, conceptualize, dream or envisage. This is a mental limitation. We work out how great a thing God can do and cap his power there. God can do this, but not do that. And that immediately sets a self-imposed limit to how much power we actually do experience.
This imagined limitation of divine power then naturally feeds into our prayer lives. We will never ask more than we think or imagine God can do!
We limit God by how much we can imagine, which is followed by how little we ask.
Exceeding more!
But Paul says that God is able to do so much more than we imagine and therefore ask for! Exceeding Abundantly, Immeasurably More!
That implies a willingness on God's part to bless more, give more, provide more, convert more, sanctify more, and so on. The Lord is willing as well as able. The bottleneck lies with us.
Summing it All Up!
Let us stop limiting the power of God in our lives and through us to others. Let's quit those words and thoughts which deny God the glory to reveal his almighty power.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
Our song for the day reminds us that it is Christ in us who gives us the power to live a triumphant and victorious life for his great glory.
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to his
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing: I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!
Sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We thank you for your Word. How it brightens our day and scatters fear and gloom!
Forgive us when we impose a small vision onto you and ask for little things.
Remind us that resurrection power is at work in your people.
Teach us that you are glorified when we imagine and ask for great things, for those greater things bring you glory.
We ask for great fruitfulness, we ask for deeper holiness and we ask for many more conversions.
We ask these things in Jesus' Name, and for his glory alone
Amen
Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash
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