Encouragements for our troubled times No. 12
COVID-19 Series | Date: 11 June 2020
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from your Pastor
Ephesians 3:20
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”. Ephesians 3 v20 This wonderful verse is true not only for believers but for unbelievers also. Anyone who comes to our God, seeking pardon and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Saviour, even though they cannot expect our righteous, holy God, to hear their pleas, will find in Him not only pardon and forgiveness but also mercy, new life, adoption, justification, the gift of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, the promise of heaven and much, much more.
The text, however, especially applies to God’s children; and what an encouragement it is for all of us!
Firstly, it assures us that our God is able. There is nothing that He is not able to know, or see, or understand; nothing that the Almighty cannot do. It is He Who created all things from nothing with just the word of His mouth. No miracle is a miracle to Him. He doesn’t need anything or anyone to bring about His will or purposes. He does as He pleases in Heaven and in all the universe. When we come before Him, therefore, with our prayers, we come before the One who is able. There is no problem too big or difficult for Him; no soul too hard or too far gone in sin for Him to reach and save.
Secondly, the verse assures us that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think: in Him is an inexhaustible fullness of grace, mercy, goodness, love, and power. He can supply whatever is good and perfect for us. He can do more than we can ever imagine or hope for, with whom He wills, when and where He wills, how He wills. As we come with our prayers, therefore, we can be certain that there is nothing that we can request that is too hard for Him to do and we can never exhaust nor come to the end of what He can or will do for us.
Thirdly, we can be assured that our God can and will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask and think because of the power that is at work in us. Look at the evidence of what God has already done for us by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. He has brought a hard-hearted, rebellious sinner to faith and salvation, and made us the children of God and the citizens of Heaven. Look at what He continues to do for us: by His Spirit, He keeps us, blesses us, comforts us and is guiding us all the way to Heaven. He answers all our prayers and works all things together for our good. When the time comes for us to die, He will be with us all the way and will make us more than conquerors over sin, Satan, the grave, death and hell itself. That power is the same power that made all things from nothing, that same almighty power of our sovereign God. When we are tempted to doubt we should just look at what the Lord has done for us, and doubt no more.
Oh, what a great privilege we possess in prayer! How we should avail ourselves of it at every opportunity and bring our petitions before the One who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. While we are in lockdown, what an opportunity we have to meet with our God. Let us not forget our times of prayer nor the prayer meeting and the morning of prayer on the 20th of this month, and bring our large petitions to our great God.