Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Immeasurably MORE!


WILLOW CREEK COMMUNITY CHURCHEphesians 3:20 is one of my all time favorite verses:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…

That’s a hot verse right there. An astonishing promise. God can do so much more than what you’re expecting.

His performance isn’t limited to the confines of your imagination. The implications of this statement are hard to believe…but simple to understand. It’s a straightforward fact: The wildest dreams you can conceive don’t even compare to the endless power of God.

I must have quoted that verse countless times just this year! And every time I do, I kind of interpret it this way:
God wants to give me more of whatever I’m asking for. God gives BIG and He wants us to ask BIG in BIG faith!
If I ask for a certain level of provision, He can exceed what I need and give me even more provision.
If I ask for favour with a certain person, He can give me even more favour than I asked for with that person. Whateer I ask, God can superceed it!

But I’ve learned that sometimes God doesn’t bless you with more of the thing you asked for.

Instead, He blesses you with something completely different. He rewards you with a different kind of currency. He switches the category altogether. Sometimes the way God exceeds our expectations isn’t by giving us more of what we think we need…He gives us something that He knows we need even more. Instead of repairing the thing that’s broken, He gives you brand new equipment.

In other words, sometimes the immeasurably more takes on a completely different form.

Instead of giving you the promotion at work, He gives you more opportunity to spend time with your family.
Instead of sending you a boyfriend, He sends you more opportunity to serve Him in your season of singleness. Instead of answering your now prayer, He answers a future need.

Sometimes God gives you more of the same.
Sometimes He gives you something even better than that.

Be confident that whatever He gives you is the best for you. But, pray BIG prayers with the BIG faith that God is able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine.