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Thursday, June 16
"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.” (Eph. 3:20 NIV)
I’ve been pondering this scripture lately. Deep in thought about it. Stirring me to search my heart and question myself...
* Am I allowing the Lord to work His power in me?
* Am I obstructing His working through me to others?
* What am I doing to clog up the works?
Do we all have God’s power working in us? Let’s dig deeper into this verse and see...
* Now: this word in Greek does not mean at this moment of time. It means but, moreover, and, also, etc.
* able: the Greek word is dunamai, meaning to be able or possible, be of power, powerful, to have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources or through a state of mind, through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
* immeasurably: is from three words, meaning...
1) over, above, beyond, superior to, more than, etc.
2) the point from which motion or action proceeds, from, out of, etc.
3) in the sense of beyond, superabundant in quantity or superior in quality, excessive, over and above, more than is necessary, surpassing, etc.
* power: the Greek word is dunamis, which comes from dunamai, and means force, miraculous and inherent power, strength, ability, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth.
* work: energeo (which comes from the Greek word energes from which we get our word energy) is the Greek word and means to be active, to effect, efficient, be fervent, be mighty in, work, work effectually in, to be operative, showing oneself active or display one’s activity.
But what is the moreover and also? The previous few verses (14-19) tell us...
* that, according to His glorious riches, the Lord would grant us to be strengthened with might through His Spirit
* that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith
* that we would know how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ and be rooted and grounded in His love
* to know that this love transcends or surpasses knowledge
* and that we may be filled with the fullness of God.
If we were to rewrite all this, it might go like this: According to God’s riches, as Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, perceiving His endless love as above our knowledge of Him, we are filled with God’s fullness.
Moreover, He is then powerful, having the ability to do more than necessary, over and above all we ask or imagine, according to His dynamite, miraculous power and strength that is active, effectual, and operative in us.
In other words...He can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine only if we allow His power to work within us.
If we have this dynamite power in us, is it efficiently working? If our pipes, so to speak, are clogged with sin of whatever kind, it acts as sludge to contaminate His Presence, and His power will not flow. We must be cleansed and filled with God’s holiness for His miracle-working power to be operative in us.
Is His dynamite power efficiently working in me? I wondered, so I asked myself...
* What works go undone?
* What wounds of others go unattended?
* What heartaches of others go uncomforted?
* What needs of others go unmet because I do not listen to the Lord’s leading or I harbor some sin, thereby, not allowing Him to work efficiently through me?
When Jesus sent out the disciples, He gave them “power and authority” (Luke 9:1) over demons, to preach the kingdom, and to heal the sick.
The Greek word used here for power is, again, dunamis. Exousia is the word used for authority and also means privilege, force, mastery, token of control, delegated influence, jurisdiction, and so on.
That same power and delegated influence has been given to us, if Christ lives in us. Isn’t that an awesome thought?
If we are “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit,” (Eph. 2:22 NKJV) then His living power and energy resides within us, working as we agree with Him to accomplish His works.
Oh, if only we could begin to grasp the magnitude of His dynamite power and allowed Him full reign and rein in our hearts, how much immeasurably more could we do for the Lord?
~Lord, I am Yours to command. Cleanse me of all that would hinder the flow of Your love, Your Spirit, and Your dynamite-power. Work Your will in me that I may bring glory to Your Name and be a reflection of Your mighty power, love, and grace to others. Amen!
This is one of my favorite verses. But, as you say, we need to claim it in every area of our lives and really live like we believe it!
I want His power to go snap, crackle and pop in me! May I be fully open for Him to explode through me. Always checking the pipes, wanting them to be clear:)
Loved your post and all that you put into it!
Shanda, thank you so much for visiting and commenting. I deeply appreciate it. You have such a beautiful smile! Blessings to you!
LOL Kristin, I love that...snap, crackle and pop! Reminds me of JJ of Good Times...Kid Dyno-mite! Thanks, sweetie, for your great comment! Bless you!
I love this, Lynn. Love thinking about the power of God in me. We need to explode with love for Him and energy to do His will.
Awesome post Lynn! I love the way you peeled this verse away, word for word, for us to discover the treasure within!
Great job, great encouragement, thank you my friend.
Just a side thought...
How many of God's people have God's dynamite available but it goes unused. In demolition, old dynamite becomes volatile, unstable and unpredicable. I wonder if that's the case with those who are empowered by God and fail to do what God had purposed.
I've known men who, knowing God's power in their lives, refused to serve the Lord and found that their life became chaotic. We must "work out" what God has "worked in" or we run the risk of finding our lives unstable. Hmmm... just a thought. :)
Amen, Carol! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! Love hearing from you!
Thanks so much, my sweet friend, Marja! You always make my heart happy! Bless you!
Hey, Michael! Your first thought...how many of God's people do not use His power was my point. We let other junk pile on and clog us up or we ignore His working and He cannot flow through us.
I love your second thought...refusal would be very risky, wouldn't it? When you think about it, it's actually scary! Thanks so much for the added thoughts. I'm always honored to have you visit. You make me smile! Blessings to you!
Awesome post, sweet friend! I really needed this today! I pray this for others consistently, but in need of some of that dynamite power myself!
Love ya!
LOL I think we all need to take advantage of that dynamite power, Stephanie! You're not alone! Thanks for dropping by! Love you! :D
Lynn,
This is my favorite verse. I love how you left no stone unturned, revealing more and more truth. I needed to be reminded of this truth. And I appreciate Rev. Michael's insight. Very timely.
Blessings to you as always,
Susan
I have thought for a long time, that in this tool box God gave us, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that is used least of all.
I am awed by the difference in Peter after the Holy Spirit fell on him on the day of Pentecost. He never turned back from working for our Lord after that.
I want that kind of power to do His work:)I need to keep that powerline open:)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
Wishing your family a blessed Father's Day!
Lynn,
Great post! We should all get our dynamite sticks out and blow our idea of "power" right out of our minds! His dunamis is beyond anything we can imagine - therefore our potential is that much more effective when we let His power work within us! Your comment "if only we could begin to grasp the magnitude of His dynamite power and allowed Him full reign and rein in our hearts" is the essence of doing more for Him when He blasts through our human efforts for His glory!
Susan, so happy to see you! It's a great verse to have as a favorite. Thanks so much for your comment. Blessings to you!
Maryleigh, you so right. We defeat ourselves without the Spirit's powerful work. Love having you visit. Thanks, sweetie! Bless you!
Oh, Deborah, it is so much more than we can imagine, isn't it? We have no idea. If we only tapped into it...Thank you so much for commenting. Bless you!
Awesome post, Lynn! I love digging deep into scriptures and exposing (and exploding) God's truth.
Makes me want to shout Hallelujah!
Aw, thanks for popping over, Lisa, and leaving a comment. You bless me! And you're right...hallelujah! \0/
I love the way you have with words my sweet friend- your gift is so beautiful. Thank you for the depth of tearing into His Word and yes, reminding us of what we already have. I love digging deeper into His Word and pulling out huge golden nuggets!!
Blessing and favor always!!
Aw, thank you so much, sweet Terrie! I so appreciate your kind words. I love digging deeper. So many gems to find! So glad you stopped by. Blessings to you!
I want to be full of dynamite! God's dynamite!!!
Alisa, you're a Kid Dy-no-mite! LOL Thanks for stopping by! Blessings to you!