God is Able...

Ephesians 3:20 ^“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…”

            I was reminded of this verse recently, and I love this verse not only because it has proven true in my own life but because of how exciting the promises of the verse are.  Many times we nonchalantly say, myself included, “God has a plan”, “God will work it out”, “God is able to overcome any situation.”  While all these statements are so incredibly true and we offer them with the intention of comfort, our actions and behavior sometimes represent the exact opposite.  My friends, God is able to fix, heal, do, finish, work, give, and much more than you or I could ever dream of.  Now, we just need to start acting like it!

            I heard Beth Moore speak recently about Joseph.  I went to Genesis and re-read the story of Joseph, and man, if anyone had a reason to doubt or feel sorry for himself, Joseph did.  We learn that Joseph was a victim of harsh treatment.  He was kidnapped, sold as a slave more than once, falsely accused, and put into prison…and much of this by his own family!  Through it all Joseph remained faithful in believing that God was able to deliver him from his hardships.  I ask you today—what are your hardships?  What areas are you the victim?  What areas are you misunderstood?  What areas of your life consume you and have made you a slave to them?  Is it family?  Your job?  A relationship?  A friend or loved one who has turned from you and God?  Is it an obsession or an insecurity that you are addicted to?  The list goes on.  I would venture to say that we all have something in our lives where we are wondering if even God is able to conquer it.

I decided to break down Ephesians 3:20 to really see what God wants us to know.  First of all, take the word now.  Now…not tomorrow, not after (fill in the blank), not when the stars align…now is the time to start believing that God is able.  God is able at any time but we must choose to believe. 

The next word, able.  Able means ability; having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.  If we believe all of God’s Word and He wrote it, then we should believe He has the ability to conquer whatever it is.  He wrote the instructions on how to accomplish things.  He is the power that makes anything possible. 

Now to my favorite part, the words exceedingly, abundantly, above.  I love these words because so many times we limit ourselves to thinking, “if I could just get this”, or “if this would just happen” everything in my life would be perfect.  What we forget is if we received everything or if plans went according to our perfect dreams, life might seem perfect in our tiny little minds, but that “perfect” life still wouldn’t even touch all that God has planned for us if we would just let Him…or better yet believe Him. 

Take the word exceed.  This word means to an advanced or unusual degree or to go beyond an expectation.  We should know this about our God that He doesn’t do anything that is limited or usual.  He doesn’t just meet expectations, He is and goes beyond the expectation. 

Abundantly means fullness to overflowing; more than adequate; over-sufficient.  I love how He chose to use this word to remind us that He doesn’t just give us exactly what we need, He gives us an overflow of exactly what we need.  He doesn’t ration out his power.  He gives and when we think we are full, He keeps on giving.  Just like Grandma forces us to eat her good cookin’.  She is trying to “fatten” us up.  I wonder if God ever says, “Carey I’m just trying to fatten you up on my good stuff!” 

The last word in this great phrase is above.  If God will go beyond our expectations (exceedingly) by giving us more than we could imagine (abundantly) then why wouldn’t we expect Him to take it one step further and go to an extended space; go above our heads (above).  I have sat in many conversations where the content was just way “over my head”.  I couldn’t grasp it.  I think it’s no coincidence that God is able to go so far above my head.  And by the way, the further above our head, the closer to glory He is.  Anything we can wrap our heads around, we tend to take the credit for.  But God steps in and says that He is going to do something that there is no way anyone would ever believe you or I had a hand in.  The glory is mine, He says! 

The last part of the verse says, according to the power that worketh in us.  If we are child of God, if we believe in His holy and precious name, then we have His power within us to overcome, conquer, and rise above anything in our lives. 

Part of His power is to help us forget.  Forgetting something that someone has said and done to you is hard and requires a great deal of humility.  If you’re not willing to humble yourself to forgive and forget, then you’re not ready for God to go exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask of Him.    Take Joseph for instance.  Despite all that he had been through, Joseph let God’s power help him forget.  Genesis 41:51 says,^” And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.”  He names is first son Manasseh which means forgetting.  It is so refreshing to know that Joseph did not live in the past.  He did not let his past make him a slave to insecurity, revenge, or a hard heart.  If he had, then he would have missed all that God was going to do in his life.  Because God’s power allowed him to forget, he became fruitful.    Genesis 41:52 says, “And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”  Ephraim means just that, fruitful.  It is a fear of mine that I will not make the most of what God gives me.  I fear that too many of us hold on to past hurts and our afflictions that we are not able to be fruitful.  God’s power within us allows us to be fruitful no matter what our afflictions are.  Joseph, just as we should, learned to cherish the blessings of the present.  If we would stop to see all that we do have right in front of us we would be humbled with shame for ever whining about what happened or didn’t happen in the past.  We spend so much time looking back that we can’t even recognize the presence of God right now.  We miss His hand on the situation right now.  We ignore His purpose in allowing our suffering right now.   

            I believe the most profound thing about the way Joseph lived his life was that in the midst of his affliction he believed God was able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that he could have ever asked or thought.  You and I will fall into one of two categories. 

We will choose to say we believe God is able but not let our actions/words reflect it.  We will never forgive, never forget, not show humility, not be fruitful and prosperous, and we’ll drag God’s name and reputation down with every complaint about “our afflictions”. 

We will choose to say we believe God is able and actually live like we believe.  We will always forgive, forget, show humility no matter what, and we will be fruitful in telling others about how good God is despite our afflictions.  We will lift His name, power, and ability to conquer all that life throws at us with behavior and an attitude that says, “I’m going to praise Him no matter what!” 

Obviously the second choice is much more difficult.  But, according to the power within us it is possible.  Again, if we were able to forgive, forget, be humble, and be fruitful on our own, then we wouldn’t need God.