For this week's Blogging Through The Alphabet were are on the letter "I". The letter "I" reminded me of one of my favorite Bible verses, Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." There are two "I" words in that passage "immeasurably" and "imagine". To understand what those two words mean all you have to do is look at the language in the King James version of the Bible "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 remember when I first discovered this verse and realized that God isn't just a God of the ordinary and when I pray, He doesn't just answer what I need but He can answer in ways I cannot even measure (immeasurable). And then it is beyond what I can even imagine (think of)! If that wasn't enough it says that it is according his power that is at work within us. If we read Ephesians 1:19-20 we discover that power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!! "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." So I have to ask myself do I really believe that? If so why do I not live my life in that power? I want to, but more often than not I don't because I listen to the voice of my enemy who wants to convince me that this isn't Truth.
You see, the faith struggle comes when the God who promises to do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine, doesn't even do the minimal. Someone I have been praying for healing dies. Or after we praise God for healing their cancer comes back. An elderly person has lived a long life and is begging God to go home and let them be out of pain and they just linger. A marriage I have been praying for ends in divorce. My own pain that I live with and pray for continues. When I pray for Pastor Saeed who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2012 to be released and he is still imprisoned. I am often praying like the father in Mark 9:24 who tells Jesus "I believe, help my unbelief".
Not sure I have any answers. But I do believe I have a God that can do immeasurably more than all I can ask or imagine. I believe in His character and even when I don't understand, I try not to listen to the accusations of the enemy "Where is your God?". I try to live in that power that is within me and with the Holy Spirit's help I say "Get behind me Satan". (James 4:7)
I do have examples in my life where God has done immeasurably more and I have blogged about those in the past, so I will not repeat them here. But more and more I ask Him more than answering prayers that I learn to live in the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and I believe He will enable me to do so, in ways beyond all I can ask or imagine!
6 comments:
What a wonderful post! Thank you so much for sharing! Dawn W @ Guiding Light
I really loved reading this post. God is so much bigger and greater than we "allow" Him to be in our lives.
Lynn, this has become one of my favorite verses as well -- and one of the few I like out of the King James because of the "exceeding abundantly" phrasing. I forget so often that God is able to do more than I give Him credit for or will even ask for because I don't think He's willing or able -- like peace in the Middle East. And like you, I struggle with unanswered prayers and wonder "Why?". Thanks for the reminder to just let go and trust Him. After all, He is God, and no one else comes close, and I must remember that He understands why those prayers have not been answered even if I don't.
I wonder the same sorts of things. I was thinking that maybe the unimaginable stuff might be reserved for heaven, but the verse says "is", not "will", telling us that God is operating in the present. I have a feeling that one of the first sentences we utter in heaven will be, "He did all that?"...as we get a glimpse of the things God had a hand in here on this earth that we were oblivious to.
One of my favorite verses, even if I don't always understand how or why "exceedingly abundantly" in God's plan is different than what I have in my plan.
Thanks everyone for your comments! It always helps to know that I am not the only one who wrestles with how scripture is lived out in my life! I agree Tim Perkins that in heaven it will all make perfect sense....Lord come quickly!
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