Thursday night was our final meeting of Celebrate Recovery. The last few month we have seen a decline in numbers to the point that we have felt that the time has come to end this ministry. As we came together for our final meeting, I was encouraged to remember that God will continue to work in all of our lives.
Eph 3:20 Now to Him who
is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
THE MESSAGE God can do anything, you know — far more
than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does
it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and
gently within us.
Amplified; Now to Him Who, by
(in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is
able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above
all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers,
desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
God is able. Paul said
that our God is able to do superabundantly all that we ask or think, according
to the power that is at work within us. God is able. What does it mean to be
able? He has the capability to do a work in us. He has the tools, the power,
the wisdom, the knowledge…He has everything that it takes. Our part is to
believe, to believe in a God who is truly able.
God is able to do a work that is exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think. He is able to do even more than we have the nerve to ask. He is able
to do even more than we can imagine, and He is at work within us.
For I am
confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect
it until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is at work in us. God will complete the
work that he has begun in each of us. He does not plan to do a partial work in
us. He does not give up.
God never says, “You know what, this is harder than I thought it would be. I
did not know she was going to be this stubborn. This is just too hard, I give
up.” NO. We do that. God does not.
God never says, "Well, he was making such good progress that
I thought I could complete the work, but now he turned around and went the
other direction, too bad. He was doing so well."
NO. He will never give up. He has the power, the ability, and
the determination to do His great work in us.
What is the work that He is doing?
Rom 8:28-29
29 For those whom he foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
We are being transformed
into the image of Christ. Think for a minute; what will it look like to be
transformed into the image of Christ? I think John nailed it when he said we
don’t know exactly what that will look like. He said “we are children of God, and
it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we
will be like Him.” 1John 3:2
We are being transformed,
changed, to look like Jesus. That is a big change, and we cannot fully grasp
what it will look like. Imagine the you you are,
the you you were born to be, but whole, free; without fear, anger, hurt, worry,
depression, bitterness, moodiness, addictions, lust, temper. All the bad, yucky stuff removed, just the
you you were meant to be before wounds came. Before anger and bitterness marred
you. Without habits and sins to trip you up…not damaged by pride and ego…
That is what God has
planned for you.
A few weeks ago, we
looked at the dilemma that Paul described in Romans 7…I know what to do, but I
can’t. I do the things that I don’t want to do, and I can’t seem to do the
things that I want to do.
Finally ends with, " Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom 7:24).
At this point, he sounds
hopeless, like there is no way out, no hope for victory, just continual defeat.
But, in the next breath, he says, " Thanks be to
God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (
What a hallelujah rises
in my spirit when I read that. I am so glad that Paul reached that conclusion at
this point.
God does not leave us to struggle on our own. He swoops in to do a magnificent work in our lives. Our job is to believe Him, listen to Him, hear Him, be with Him, follow Him.
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