FAR MORE Abundantly Beyond ALL

Ephesians 3:14-21 | NASB

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” 

Paul says so much in such a short prayer doesn’t he?  There is so much truth packed in you just have to sit and ponder it over and over!  However this portion stuck out to me today:  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think…  I love Paul’s use of descriptive words: he doesn’t just say far more than what we ask or think, or beyond what we ask or think, or more abundant than what we ask or think… NO! he must use them all! FAR MORE abundantly beyond ALL… do you think that leaves anything out?  In our finite minds we often limit God, we assume or believe that He acts in certain ways, or only cares about certain things, we doubt that He will act or could act in ways beyond what our minds think could be possible.  In our minds we have put God in a box, have put our expectations of Him, our assumptions regarding Him and how He works neatly in our little box with which we are comfortable.  However God is not constrained by our finite ideas and minds is He?  Thank the Lord He is not!! The verse here certainly makes it obvious that His ability is far beyond our thoughts and understanding of what it could even be.  Did Abraham and Sarah think that God could fulfill His promise?  Yes, however, there was a time when they doubted that He could fulfill it through Sarah, through the means that God had said He would and could.  

Genesis 18:14 | NASB

" Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

God promised and: 

Hebrews 11:11-12 | NASB

"By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore."

Abraham, as good as dead, Sarah, beyond the proper time of life to conceive, physically impossible, Yet God said "Is there anything to difficult for the LORD" and He fulfilled His promise by giving them a son, an heir, by giving them Isaac.

The Israelites were mumbling… (yes again)… and they were tired of having only manna, they wanted meat!  Moses came to the Lord, the Lord spoke and told him that He would give them meat to eat until it came out of their nostrils and was loathsome to them!  But Moses said how? How are you going to feed this great number of people? If all the fish in the sea were gathered it would surely not be enough? This is what God had to say to that!!

Numbers 11:23 | NASB

"The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

Moses had limited God's power in his own thinking.  God had to remind him that surely His power was not limited!  How often do we come to God saying, "I don't know how you can do this?"  “Do you realize what it would take to accomplish ____” "I don't know if this is possible"  …… We should hear the word of God "Is My power limited" in our hearts every time we think or utter such thoughts, shouldn't we?? Shouldn't we boldly approach the throne of grace and ask whatever is on our hearts knowing that the power of God is not limited in any way, that if His soul desires it, He will indeed do it, that He will perform what is appointed for you and I? (Job 23:13-14)  It will certainly change the way we pray won’t it?  it should rebuke us in our hearts and minds when we limit God’s answers and dealings with us to what fits in our little box that we’ve come up with and become comfortable with.  We ought not to doubt God or question how He works, but we ought to be preparing to see what He is able to do, which is far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think! 

Romans 11:33-36 | NASB

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen”

BUT GOD

Ephesians 2:1-5 | NASB

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

But…. That has to be one of my favorite words to come across, especially in scripture.  It tells me that I need to pay attention; there is a change from the previous tone or thought that is important.  Here it is a most wondrous change.  This is a familiar passage to me, one that I’ve committed to memory in the past, and I have always been struck by the “but” here, and was this morning once again.  You were dead.  Not sick, not ignorant, not just needing knowledge or a little help.  There was no tiny spark of life in us that just needed to be nourished, no flame that needed to be fanned, no seed that needed light and water to grow.  YOU WERE DEAD!  Those who are familiar with dead and dying individuals know that there is nothing that a dead person can do to bring themselves back to life again.  They cannot move their lungs to breathe, they cannot make their heart beat once again, they cannot even form an intention or thought to try and do so, no chemical or neurological communication to start breathing or living again is taking place, there is nothing.  There is no glimmer of hope, there is no flicker of light, there is no way to live again apart from outside intervention.  There is not a more helpless and total state of inability that could possibly be described.  That is us, we were dead, unable to do anything to be alive again.  And then comes the “but”!  BUT GOD… you were dead, completely unable, hopeless, helpless, total inability to do anything… but God…. Made us alive together with Christ!  Alive… the complete opposite of being dead, alive, able, hopeful!  Because He is rich in mercy, because of the greatness of His love for us, He made us alive when we were dead, by grace through faith in the power of Christ’s atoning work for us on the cross.  We are now ALIVE!  I am so thankful for the “but” here!  Here my life was over, I was walking according to the world, a child of wrath, dead in my trespasses and sins, BUT GOD!   This illustration that God gives of the total transformation that we must undergo, that we are unable to perform (dead.. remember?), that we lie helpless, hopeless, rotting, becoming more and more putrid in our transgressions and sin, requiring the outside divine intervention  of a merciful and mighty God to transform our dead, rotting, stinking and putrid flesh to be made alive in Christ!  To be transformed into the new man, to be sanctified day by day, to be glorified with Christ on that great day!  all because of one thing, all because of "BUT GOD"   Amen. 

Better than Sacrifice...

I Samuel 15:22 | NASB

Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
 As in obeying the voice of the Lord? 
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, 
 And to heed than the fat of rams.”

Psalm 51:16-17 | NASB

“For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; 
 You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; 
 A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Micah 6:6-8 | NKJV

“With what shall I come before the Lord, 
 And bow myself before the High God? 
 Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, 
With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 
Ten thousand rivers of oil? 
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, 
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; 
 And what does the Lord require of you
 But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God?”

Hosea 6:6 | NASB

“For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, 
 And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

            It is easy for man to go through the motions of service, to bring our sacrifices, our offerings to God and to think that we have honored our God as He has commanded us to.  Feeling in doing so that we are holy, that we are pleasing God, meeting His standards.  How mistaken are we in thinking so.  What are sacrifices and offerings when our hearts are not right, when the rest of our lives are not in alignment with righteousness, are not obedient to our Heavenly Father? God is interested in our hearts.  Where is our heart?  Is our heart humble before our God, is it loving mercy, doing justice, are we broken over our sin and repentant of it to our Father, are our hearts wholly His, loyal to our God or are we trying to divide our affections between masters?  Feigning allegiance to our Father while still chasing after worldly desires and pleasures?  God is more interested in our obedient, humble hearts than our sacrifices.  I love the verses in Micah where he exaggerates with what he shall possibly bring before the Lord to please Him, a thousand rams? Ten thousand rivers of oil? His first born? No… the simple answer is this… He has shown you O man what is good; and what the Lord requires of you: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God!  This is what God longs for, more than our elaborate and showy sacrifices: humble obedient hearts.  But we need to be so careful, does that mean there will never be any sacrifices required?  No it does not, for being obedient and humbly taking up our cross in following Christ will indeed require sacrifices and hardships.  But we are not to look at these sacrifices as being better or more important than being obedient.  Obedience is what pleases God, more than sacrifice.  So let us walk humbly in obedience to our God, doing justice, loving mercy, showing our loyalty to Him in all that we do, and when obedience requires sacrifice, let us give freely as we have so freely been given to. 

My Soul followeth hard after Thee...

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”

Psalm 63:8 KJV

“My soul cleaveth unto thee: for thy right hand upholdeth me.”

Psalm 63:8 (1599 Geneva Bible)

I included both translations because I found them both helpful in understanding the first phrase.  The Hebrew word translated as “followeth hard” and “cleaveth” literally means both, it is an expression that mingles both following and cleaving.  I love the intensity of this expression; it is not some mere carefree following after that we pursue at our leisure or when we feel moved to do so, but an intentional, fervent, earnest and laborious continual exertion based on our knowledge of God, of who He is, what He has done for us, and what He is doing for us presently.  In the previous verses David recounts his thirst and longing for God, the power and glory of God, God’s abundant loving-kindness, and how He satisfies David’s soul, how God has helped him in the past and this all culminates in praise and a determination to cleave to His God!  And yet still more in the second portion of the verse David acknowledges that he is being upheld by God’s hand of power and strength presently!   Should not we cry the same? Should we not also after recounting what God has done for us, who He is, what He is doing, how He displays his power and glory not also, along with David, followeth hard after our God, cleaving fast?  All the while knowing that it is His right hand of power that upholds us every moment!!    

As I begin to write short devotions to myself, for my further growth in grace, I intend to share them with you, I am reminded again today as I read through the above, that I need to have this verse written on my heart and brought forward to the front of my mind every moment of every day.  Oh to have first in my heart each day that my soul needs to be cleaving, to be following hard after Thee!  Just think how this mindset should and will change my days, my decisions, my words, my thoughts, my actions and my attitudes.  When I am cleaving, when I am following hard, laboring after my Father, knowing that in doing so I am upheld by His right (signifies strength and power) hand, how can I not help but bring Him glory!  This is my desire today, this morning, this moment, to bring Him glory, to display His truth in my every action and word, and yet I know I will be tested, tempted, and will struggle with not only my own weakness and flesh, but with the onslaught of the evil one.  Yet greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world!! and not only this but God did not tell me about the reality of my struggle with the flesh and the powers of darkness to give me an excuse to stay as I am or to be fearful, or to be complacent with where I am now, but to prepare me for battle, to give me strength to take up my cross and follow Him.  Today, and I pray every day, I will take up my cross and followeth hard after Thee.                                                            

How I pray…

My mom shared Philippians 1:9-11 with me recently, sharing with me that this was her prayer for me, just as Paul had prayed for the Philippian believers. It says

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

As I was encouraged by her faithful prayers, I also began to think about how I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ.  So often, we pray for circumstances, for safety, for healing, for relief of pain or suffering, for provision, for our own wants and desires, and the list goes on… Praying for these things is not necessarily wrong, we are to bring all our requests before God, and that goes from the largest of things to the very smallest!  However, how often do I pray for them as Paul prayed for the saints in Philippi or Colossi or Thessalonica or Rome or Corinth and no doubt all of those that he ministered to in his lifetime??  I just wanted to write down for myself how Paul prayed to serve as a reminder to myself and hopefully as an encouragement to you of how I ought to pray for the beloved in Christ!

One of the first thing that sticks out to me as I read through the Pauline epistles and the prayers that they contain, is that Paul is not shy about telling the saints that he is praying for them.  I know that for myself, there is never a more encouraging thing to hear from a fellow believer than the words "I was praying for you" or "I have been praying for you".  I think that we need to, not only be faithful to pray for each other but to also share that with those that we are praying for that they may be encouraged and strengthened by the knowledge.  

A second thing that stuck out to me is the frequency with which Paul prays, he uses words such as "always" (Romans 1:10, II Thessalonians 1:11, I Corinthians 1:4) "unceasingly" and "do not cease"  and "have not ceased" (Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16, Colossians 1:9) and in II Timothy 1:3 says "I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day".  How many of us could say that?  How many of us could honestly tell our brothers and sisters in Christ that we do not cease to pray for them, that we pray for them always, that we remember them in our prayers day and night?  This, too, was convicting to me.

Now to the meat of the matter: for what things does Paul pray for them?  

Well he starts out very often by thanking God for them and for the grace God has given to them, (I Corinthians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:3), many of his letters open with these sentiments.  So firstly I need to thank God for my brothers and sisters in Christ that He has given me, for their grace and faith, which is praise ultimately to the God who gave them these.  

In II Corinthians 13:7-9 Paul prays that the Corinthian believers would do no wrong, but that they would do what is right, and that they would be complete.  

In Ephesians 1:16-19 Paul prays that God would grant to the believers a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened: to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power towards those who believe.  

In Philippians 1:9-11 Paul prays that our love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment - in order that: we may approve what is excellent, and be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.

In Colossians 1:9-12 Paul prays that we will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding - SO THAT: we may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects, bear fruit, increase in the knowledge of God, be strengthened with all power (according to His glorious might!), attain all steadfastness and patience, and joyously give thanks to our Father!

In I Thessalonians 5:23-24 Pauls prays that we would be sanctified entirely, that our spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete and without blame.  He then states the obvious: "Faithful is He who called you, and He will also bring it to pass".  Basically: your prayer is already answered :-) 

In II Thessalonians 1:11-12: That God will count us worthy of our calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power.  SO THAT: God will be glorified in us and we in Him!

In II Thessalonians 3:16: That God would continually grant us peace in every circumstance!  Not deliverance from our circumstances, but peace in them.

And lastly in Hebrews 13:20-21: Equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight!  

^{Hebrews 13:20 "}Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, ²¹ equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

I just had to share that entire verse!!  If any of us ever doubted (and we do) that God is able, Paul reminds us that our God is a God of peace, who raised Christ from the dead!  Surely if He has done that, He can do this!

I love too how Paul's prayers are laced with doctrine and confidence in the One to whom He is praying!  His requests and praises occur simultaneously and one naturally flows into the other, I need to learn to pray in this way!

Disease ....

I came across an interesting disease this week at work.  I helped take care of a patient who had tuberculosis.  Thankfully, we don't see a whole lot of that anymore these days.  But I got to thinking how similar our sin is to this disease, or maybe better, the way that satan attacks us with temptation.  Hopefully this makes sense to you, it just sort of struck me.

Tuberculosis can lie dormant for a whole life, you can actually have been exposed, but never have an active infection.  But this is not the usual course.  After exposure, your body encapsulates the bacteria that you've breathed into your lungs and therefore protects you from a full fledged attack.  But later in life, even years down the road, when your body is weak, or somehow compromised, the defenses can be broke down, and  an active and serious infection can occur, requiring months and months of intense, grueling treatment, with life long consequences.

It just struck me how similar the devil works.  We have all been born with a sin nature, even those of us that are now in Christ still struggle with this nature.  We are also exposed in this fallen world to sin on a daily basis and the temptation is great and serious. We have been exposed to the disease.  But as we are in Christ and are seeking His will, obeying His commands, and following Him, maintaining fellowship with the body, we are alert, and our defenses are up.  The bacteria of temptation and sin is now encapsulated, we are momentarily protected from temptation.  But satan knows when we are weak, in fact he waits on these times to prey upon us.  We may be becoming lax in our relationship with Christ and His church, rendering our spiritual health weak and compromised.  Our defenses also weaken and the temptation/disease can become active, infecting us in one way or another.  However as we are in Christ, this is not the end, there is hope!  But rest assured that it is not an easy path that we are on.  The treatment for TB (tuberculosis) is long-term running 6 months to a year depending on the severity, multiple medications are given, often they are not taken because of the severity of some of the side effects, but it is the only way to be cured.  This can be true in our walk after we've fallen into temptation.  We want to get better, be healed, and we are forgiven, but the road back is often hard, and it is so much easier to not take it, to stay lax and lazy, to pretend that it's not a big deal.  But there in the background is still this disease, that eats away at our joy, robs God of His glory in our lives, and renders us unfruitful. 

When we have a patient with TB, they are in isolation, and we take the highest precautions when caring for them, these precautions are called Airborne Precautions.  They are in a room where air cannot flow out into the rest of the hospital, the doors stay shut and there is a room between them and the hall to maintain a negative airflow.  When we enter we are gowned, gloved and wearing special masks to protect ourselves.  We take this disease seriously, because it is deadly, because it spreads quickly, because it's treatment is so harsh.  And we should.... but let me ask you this as well as I ask myself, do I think of sin and the temptation that I face in this same way?  Do I treat it as seriously as I treat a dreaded disease?  Do I make sure that I am protected and have my guard up when I am up against it?  Or do I let my guard down, not caring if I am exposed or that I might even expose others through my inattention to safety? 

I think it's safe to say that we all fear disease, especially those that are life threatening and serious, but do you and do I, fear sin the same way?