Immeasurably More
Dear Friends,
Last week, my family and I went to Spring Harvest (a family bible week). The theme was "Immeasurably More" based on Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV) "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
I want to share with you today some of the things that encouraged and challenged me while we were at Spring Harvest.
1. Higher - God is bigger than my understanding, bigger than my experiences, bigger than my circumstances. "25 'To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?' asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding." Isaiah 40:25-29 (NLT)
When I face difficulties and challenges rather than focusing on them I need to look higher, look to God, ask for his perspective and then trust him.
2. Closer - God is closer to me than I am sometimes aware. Paul wants his readers to become even closer to God, because there's still much more of God for us to experience. Ephesians 3:16-17a. My heart is a dwelling place for Jesus and the Holy Spirit is the one who is making me a suitable dwelling place for him. The question is, am I, are you, willing and open to the Holy Spirit making us a suitable dwelling place for Jesus?
We have a wonderful promise in James 4:8 "Come close to God, and God will come close to you." (NLT) I need to remind myself that if at times God feels or seems distant, he's not the one who has moved away, I have.
3. Deeper - in Ephesians 3:17b there is the image of a tree and how our roots are to grow down deep into God's love. The same image is in Jeremiah 17:7-8 "7 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." (NLT)
When I am grounded in God and his love I have access to his unlimited supply which more than meets my needs. God's resources are immeasurably more than anyone else's resources. My desire is to go deeper with God - to experience more of his love and more of him.
4. Wider and further - God's plan for us and the way he works goes far beyond what we can possibly think or imagine. His vision is far greater than ours, as is shown in Jesus' resurrection. God's love for all people everywhere goes further than we can possibly imagine or grasp. God expects me to take the love I have received from him and share it with others. This is one way his love reaches further.
I need a daily interaction with God, learning to be reliant on him so that I give out from all he has given me and not from my own limited resources. I cannot give from what I do not have so first I need to experience an intimate relationship with God. And if I want to experience more of God in my life then I need to give up more of myself so there is more room for him.
To Think About:
Which of the four points above are more meaningful to you right now?
What may God be wanting you to hear and know about his love?
Is there something you need to remove from your life so that there is more room for you to experience more of God?
Vicki
Last week, my family and I went to Spring Harvest (a family bible week). The theme was "Immeasurably More" based on Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV) "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
I want to share with you today some of the things that encouraged and challenged me while we were at Spring Harvest.
1. Higher - God is bigger than my understanding, bigger than my experiences, bigger than my circumstances. "25 'To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?' asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding." Isaiah 40:25-29 (NLT)
When I face difficulties and challenges rather than focusing on them I need to look higher, look to God, ask for his perspective and then trust him.
2. Closer - God is closer to me than I am sometimes aware. Paul wants his readers to become even closer to God, because there's still much more of God for us to experience. Ephesians 3:16-17a. My heart is a dwelling place for Jesus and the Holy Spirit is the one who is making me a suitable dwelling place for him. The question is, am I, are you, willing and open to the Holy Spirit making us a suitable dwelling place for Jesus?
We have a wonderful promise in James 4:8 "Come close to God, and God will come close to you." (NLT) I need to remind myself that if at times God feels or seems distant, he's not the one who has moved away, I have.
3. Deeper - in Ephesians 3:17b there is the image of a tree and how our roots are to grow down deep into God's love. The same image is in Jeremiah 17:7-8 "7 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." (NLT)
When I am grounded in God and his love I have access to his unlimited supply which more than meets my needs. God's resources are immeasurably more than anyone else's resources. My desire is to go deeper with God - to experience more of his love and more of him.
4. Wider and further - God's plan for us and the way he works goes far beyond what we can possibly think or imagine. His vision is far greater than ours, as is shown in Jesus' resurrection. God's love for all people everywhere goes further than we can possibly imagine or grasp. God expects me to take the love I have received from him and share it with others. This is one way his love reaches further.
I need a daily interaction with God, learning to be reliant on him so that I give out from all he has given me and not from my own limited resources. I cannot give from what I do not have so first I need to experience an intimate relationship with God. And if I want to experience more of God in my life then I need to give up more of myself so there is more room for him.
To Think About:
Which of the four points above are more meaningful to you right now?
What may God be wanting you to hear and know about his love?
Is there something you need to remove from your life so that there is more room for you to experience more of God?
Vicki
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