God is sooooo Good! by Pastor Tim Burt
Eph. 3:20-21 (NKJV) “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, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
This weekend my third child, my son Peter got married. We had a wonderful weekend of wedding festivities – the rehearsal, dinners, the wedding, and then more relative festivities after. It was a long and delightful and exhaustingly wonderful weekend. And our family has just grown again. I have a beautiful and sweet new daughter-in-law that matches the words of Eph. 3:20 “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…”
That verse – today’s Fresh Manna verse – has been a foundational verse in Renee and my life. Eph. 3:20-21 (NKJV) “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, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
I learned that verse early on in my Christian walk. It was actually a verse that greatly helped my faith. I was a young man and a young Christian. I had a wife and four young children. I felt in many ways like the richest man in the world. I loved my wife so much and my children were the greatest delight of my life after Jesus and Renee. We all loved each other and enjoyed life together. We had no extra money – none! We could barely pay our bills. But our life was not about money. It was about our love for God, our love for each other, and trying to bring God’s love to this world. That was what mattered. But we, like anyone else, did face the financial obligations and needs that everyone else did. And the cares of them would often try to get into our heads and thought-life and bring us down. To the very best of our ability, we would carry then right back to the throne of God and leave them there.
I worked hard to provide for our family. Renee worked hard to make our home and family atmosphere blessed. But, we could have felt as overwhelmed as anyone over all the thoughts and cares that present themselves.
One day I was watching a children’s video with my kids. It was produced by Willie George - one of the best Pastors and at that time, children’s Pastors in the country. They were “Gospel Bill” videos and in this one we were watching, a character called El Diablo would knock on Gospel Bill’s door. Gospel Bill was a sheriff and El Diablo was a villain that never talked. When Gospel Bill heard the knock on the door and opened it, El Diablo stood there caring all these packages that he would try to hand over to Gospel Bill. One was marked, “Cares” and one was marked “Worries.” Another was marked “Sickness” and another was marked “Disease.” Another was marked “Lack” and another “Poverty,” and on and on. He was trying to get Gospel Bill to take these packages. Well he wouldn’t. He told El Diablo to take them back –that those weren’t gifts and especially for God’s children.
That little video helped me think about rejecting every care and worry and fear that would present themselves in our lives. We would reject them and put them at the feet of Jesus. He died to carry and take them for us. Galatians 3:13 “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When Jesus hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Those packages represented the curse of what is in this earth and we are told here that Jesus took that curse upon Himself to redeem us from it! WE AREN’T CURSED! WE ARE BLESSED! The scriptures go on from there to say that Jesus became that curse so that we could receive His blessings and promises. Galatians 3:29 (NLT) “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises (Blessings) God gave to him belong to you.”
When our family was young, it was normal for me to wonder, God how is this all going to work out? How am I going to afford to put them through school, and braces, and clothes, and college and on and on? I’d think, “I’m not smart enough or skilled enough to provide for my family.” The Lord would remind me to lay those things at the altar and remember that Jesus gave His life so we could expect His blessing and help. And again as today’s Fresh Manna says, “Now to Him (Jesus) who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…”
“The power that works in us” is our faith in the fact that Jesus intimately loves and cares for us and desires to help in every step of our life. I don’t know about you, but I never stop being dependent upon Him. I need His help every day. I have that precious promise that what He will do is “exceedingly abundantly above all that I can ask or think,” if I stay in faith.
As Renee and I reflected on this weekend and all that God has done in our lives, He has truly gone far beyond what we ever imagined or could have asked. We are so thankful to Him – not just for helping and taking care of us, but for even allowing us to know Him and have this place of faith where we could cast our cares and trust Him. His Word is so rich with His promise and love to us. He is such an intimate and loving God. And that is why ”to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”