2007-07-28 - God's Aptitude

Ephesians 3: 20,21, "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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

More often than not, this year, at my church, we have used these two verses as our doxology at the end of the service. There are several passages that tend to serve as doxologies, Hebrews 13:20,21, and Jude 24,25 serving as two others that are maybe even more commonly used. But we have been using these two verses in Ephesians, and I thought it might be helpful to take a moment and try to glean some encouragement, and even instruction, from these precious verses that speak of God's glory, and present a fitting conclusion to our times of gathering to worship Him with one another.

These verses serve almost like a spoken hymn of praise, where we give fitting adoration to the Lord for being with us and going with us, as we end our time of worship. "To Him be glory ... for ever and ever!" is a fitting thought to take with us, as we leave the house of God. All our graces, all our mercies, come from the immortal and transcendent One whom we gather to worship. When we begin a worship service, it is typical to start with a call to worship the Lord, and as we end our time of worship, it is consistent with our worship, to end with giving all glory to God, "who is over all and through all and in all," (Ephesians 4:6).

It is also fitting to consider God's aptitude in all things. He has the capacity to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." If we try for a moment to imagine the greatest, most wonderful thing that the Lord could accomplish, He can do greater than that. According to His power, He can do more than that very thing we might be considering right now. "God couldn't do that, could He?" In truth, He can far exceed even that very thing that we, in our wildest imaginations, can only ponder. God can do it. Nothing is beyond His ability. He not only can do those things that we only consider in our imaginations and dreams, but He can accomplish those things that we can only envision, and then far exceed even those things.

So we end our service with blessing God. He is not limited to our dreams. When we pray, we ask for bread and water, compared to what He is able to achieve for us. He has a storehouse of steaks and wine, and even in our boldest prayers, desires, hopes, and pleas - His ability far exceeds our requests or entreaties. When our souls hunger for those things that He longs to give, our cups will surely overflow. He will not give us those things that He knows we do not need. The Lord is much too loving to do that. Let us seek to draw near to the Lord, that our hearts might be as His heart, and that He might be able to lovingly bestow upon us those mercies that He excellently gives. Truly we can say to this, Amen."

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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