Able!

Able!

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 KJV

As always, identity is important. You've got to settle first of all if this extract is directed at you, if the person who is the focus of the extract knows you or is also known by you. It is very clear that Paul knew who he was talking about, and to whom this prayer was addressed. Do I know God at all, or is all I have just the words of other people?

Until I know Him personally, I really cannot speak of Him. Oh, talk is cheap. People can cook up a sermon about God using commentaries and Google, and yet God will not be introduced to men. It is not in the multitude of words, but in the personal experience of walking with God. Being busy is not a substitute for a walk with God.

That is the foundation of today's extract: the knowledge of God. Paul speaks of His identity, ability and eternal impact. Each bit is crucial to my walk with God. All that I may receive is first and foremost about who God is. We love the presents and the gifts God offers, and that is not really a problem. We must also crave His Presence too. In fact, it is His Presence that guarantees that his presents will make sense. One of the greatest dangers of our generation is the elevation and  celebration of gifts over the One who gives them.

One of his gifts is his unbeatable power to do more than our minds can fathom, imagine or ask. We were created in His image so we are able to conceive things with our mind and seek to actualize them. Yet God is able to exceed even our most 'unbelievable' thoughts, as long as we know IN whom these things can be fulfilled. We seek mighty things, and then we leave God out of the equation. How do we imagine then that what is promised here will happen, when we have left out the power that can make them happen? 

And when you consider who this God is, you realise He doesn't do temporary stuff. He is an eternal God, who works in time and eternity to bring His purpose and plan to pass. If I carry His Presence, I represent Him on earth. When I speak, He speaks. When men see grace at work, the glory is given back to God. That is why only unto this God can all the glory be given. He is the One who made Jesus Christ the perfect offering for sin so we could be saved, and He is the Life of the Church, the body of Christ, the earthy manifestation of the heavenly reality soon to be revealed. As a carrier of God, my life must bring glory to the One I claim to know and follow. 

And this glory will not cease, whether I promote it or not. God's glory will outlive each and every one of us, so it is a privilege to be a vessel through which Christ can shine out. As I live, I am conscious of my limitations. I appreciate the mighty power at my disposal, and the great things God holds in store for me. I am reminded that His ability is bigger, better and stronger than anything I can imagine. This present world has no idea of the possibilities that God is able to birth and sustain in me. His ability is all I need to be able to survive all that the world will throw my way. If all I have is what my hands have gathered, I am indeed limited. If the everlasting arms of the Lord sustain me, there is no limit to what God can do in and through me down here, as I prepare for eternity. His time of favour is here.