June 27, 2006
"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, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4). We can all use a little comfort now and then. God IS the God of all comfort and I believe that sometimes the comfort He gives is not for ourselves alone. It is a gift from God, given to be distributed, used as an instrument to help others. I have received the comfort of the Father and have seen miracles happen before my eyes. I wondered today what you might be going through right now. What trials and problems are you facing today? I would be amiss if I stored up all that God had shown me in my trials and kept it all for myself. I want to encourage you today, my friend, with what I know about the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
The truth of the Bible is that we serve an Ephesians 3:20 God. A God who is able. He is not just a God who may want to. You may ask me for one million dollars and I may want to give it to you, but the question is...am I able? Not by a long shot. But whatever your situation might be, God is able. He has sufficient power and resources to accomplish anything! He is able to save. He is able to heal. He is able to deliver. He is able to provide for your every need.
Not only is He able...He is able to do exceedingly abundantly. Exceedingly means to an extreme degree. The Greek connotation is over, beyond, more than. Abundantly means marked by great plenty (as of resources), amply supplied, abounding and plentiful. The Greek picture here is over and above, more than is necessary, superior, extraordinary, surpassing and uncommon. That's a lot of definitions but I want you to think about your personal situation and say, "God is able to do (fill in the blanks with the above words) about my problem." An unknown author is quoted as saying, "Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death." I encourage you to feast on the above words, strengthen your faith with them and watch your fear disappear. God is able!
Ephesians 3:20 tells us that what God is able to do is far above all that we could ask or think. The NIV says "ask or imagine". Think about your situation. Think about the best outcome that you can possibly imagine. Think about all you have asked God for concerning this problem. He is able to go so far beyond what you could ever, in your wildest dreams imagine or think!
1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." I believe that doesn't just mean when we get to Heaven. I believe that we can see these things right here on planet Earth. Our finite minds cannot even begin to fathom the power and ability of God. We look at Him through earthly eyes often comparing Him to our earthly fathers, giving Him human attributes and abilities because that's all we can relate to. But our God is not like any other person we know. He is above all things. He knows all things. In Him all things live and move and have their being. They were created by Him and exist for Him. He is all in all! And again, He is able! And He is able "according to HIS power that is at work within us." Not our power. The solution to your problem is not in your power. It is in the power and ability of God. Stop striving to come up with your own solution. You can't do it. Only He can. Do what you know is right and what you believe God has told you through His word and the Holy Spirit and leave the rest to Him. He will take care of the exceedingly and abundantly.
Finally, my friend, wield that Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) that we talked about last week. Go to the word and pick out all of the verses that apply to your situation and speak them out loud. Do what Jesus did in the desert when Satan was on the attack. Remember the devil is a liar. Fight back with the truth. If you are sick today, He is your Jehovah Ropheka, your healer. If you are in financial need today, He is your Jehovah Jireh, your provider. If you are confused and upset today, He is your Jehovah Shalom, your peace. If you don't know the way, He is your Jehovah Shaah, your shepherd who will lead you. Are you feeling alone? He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. You are not alone. Have you been treated unfairly? He is El Roi, the God who sees. He knows and He cares. He is El Shaddai, the all sufficient one...all that you need. In a battle? He is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts who will fight your battles for you.
Feed your faith. Starve your fear. And when you have been comforted and God has done the exceedingly and abundantly in your life, remember to share that comfort with someone else. Let nothing you have gone through be wasted. "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Donna Schultz
Savemom@aol.com
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