Read on and take note!

I'd like to draw your attention to another verse today, which I feel people ignore the end of - 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"

The first part is great! It says God is able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think"! Wow, that's a lot! And look at the words used there, there are 3 of them: exceedingly, abundantly and above. It doesn't just say 'above and beyond' or, 'abundantly above', they sound absolutely fine and who would complain or argue about them? No, God's Word goes further than that and exceedingly so! Lets look at some dictionary meanings for those words.

For 'above' (as a preposition) My Merriam Webster's Collegiate 10th edition says,

1 : in or to a higher place than : OVER
2 a : superior to (as in rank, quality, or degree) b : out of reach of c : in preference to d : too proud or honorable to stoop to
3 : exceeding in number, quantity, or size : more than
4 : as distinct from and in addition to heard the whistle above the roar of the crowd

There's some interesting senses there. Number 3, more than is a simple enough definition, let's use it and replace the word above with the words more than.

"Now to Him who is able to do more than all that we ask or think..."

That doesn't sound all that bad does it? But Paul didn't say those words, there's more.

Abundantly is an adverb. Adverbs modify (or change) verbs, adjectives, prepositions and other adverbs etc. Abundant means,

1 a : marked by great plenty (as of resources) *a fair and abundant land* b : amply supplied : ABOUNDING *an area abundant with bird life*
2 : occurring in abundance : AMPLE *abundant rainfall*
synonyms see PLENTIFUL

Abundantly then adds the thought of a generously greater amount more than or, plentiously more than, or even a whooole much more than.

"Now to Him who is able to do much-generously more than all that we ask or think..."

Let's not stop there. One more word to go. Exceedingly!

: to an extreme degree : EXTREMELY

There ya go. I'd prefer to keep the word exceedingly in, it reads better.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly much-generously more than all that we ask or think..."

You can't picture how much that is, it's just so much! It keeps going on and on! That's the point, and we think it's a marvelous one don't we?! Infact, I don't know about you but sometimes it annoys me that I can't comprehend just how generous God can be and that towards me of all people!

So there is the good part, the part that 'wows' us and causes us to hope and dream of big answers to prayer - I feel that this verse is usually connected to prayer requests. But the part that I didn't notice for a while was the last part,

"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"

It doesn't say, according to the power of prayer, or, according to His almighty power - it says, according to THE power (which power? The one that...) works IN US. In my eyes that means that we, you and I, the Born-Again believers in and Children of God are inextricably linked to God's ability to DO stuff for us and in us and before us. That kinda spoils our comfy idea of gettin some big answers to prayer - an all we had to do was pray! No, it seems that God wants to change things in us and BY us (and probably nothin's gonna change BY us if it isn't first changed IN us!). And another thing, these aren't necessarily things that have to do with your own hopes, ambitions and dreams or that of your family etc. God has His own mind and plan. I'm not too experienced in walking with God, but I've learned that I have to let go of things and do His stuff that He has led me to do and Trust Him with it all! Sheesh, talk about walking on water!

So you see, the last part of that verse is vital to our understanding of the whole. It kinda puts a burden of responsibility on you, don't ya think?! I mean 'the Power' can be none other than the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that is in me, and I'm not my own (see 1 Cor 6:19). No, when I gave my life over to Him I became His property and He did something for me that no-one else could do in that He (as Sinless) died for me and fogave me my sins (upon my Repentance), and He did something IN me that no-one else could do in that He gave me Life and a New God-Honouring nature. There is another verse in Ephesians I want to link and it speaks both of being God's property and being re-created in-Him, Ephesians 2:10,

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

It is these good works that God has prepared for us that I have a sneaky suspicion might have something to do with the exceedingly abundantly above stuff. After all, Jesus did say,

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (by the Spirit's leading to the Pilgrims daily Cross). John 14:12

Hmmm, seems that believing in Jesus means WORK! (For the record, I think Jesus said, 'He who believes in Me' a total of 6 times: John 6:35, 6:47, 7:38, 11:25, 12:44, 14:12)

The Greek word translated as 'Power' in Ephesians 3:20 is dunamis, it appears a total of 5 times in Ephesians. Why not study what these verses say, they are: Eph 1:19 (1st 'power' only), Eph 1:21(KJV='might'), Eph 3:7, Eph 3:16(KJV='might'), Eph 3:20.

Please read the WHOLE verse......please!

Today I just wanted to post a verse that I think people quote only partially, neglecting to finish it and thus miss the Truth of the complete word being said. (A 'partial truth' is non-existent - it's not real - it's NOT TRUE)

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
ISAIAH 40:31

Most people stop reading and thinking at the "wings like eagles" part and dream of a trouble-free, boredom-free, uninhibited, unhindered, joy filled, pleasurable life with God. They think of this soaring high with God as the pinnacle of experiencial life with God and the only real mark and end of actually knowing Him. But infact, the reality of that verse is that the flying on wings is the first of 3 DOWNWARD steps not the top of 3 upward steps. We move down from flying like an eagle to running without weariness and from there further down to walking without fainting. No-one gets excited about the ability to do the latter two do they? "Wow, I will be able to run and not be weary! and even better, I will be able to walk and not faint!" I mean, we walk every day, some of us run - it's not that hard to do really, but as for flying, hmmm, nope!

Read through any book of the New Testament and you will see that the Christian life is not described as one spent up in the air above the earth but as one with feet firmly fixed on the ground as endurance runners and Pilgrims! - hence the running and walking (yet all the while we are citizens of Heaven.). The connection to feet outnumbers that to wings by 2:1! Feet are used more than wings - nevertheless there are apparently times for using and developing wings.

In his wonderful book 'Figures of Speech Used in the Bible' E.W. Bullinger identifies a figure of speech in this verse called, catabasis (gradual descent) and says:

"Cat-ab-a-sis, a going down: from kata, down, and basis, a going. This is the opposite of Anabasis, and is used to emphasize humiliation, degredation, sorrow, etc.
The Latins called it DECREMENTUM, i.e., decrease - an increase in the opposite direction, an increase of depreciation."

Specific to Isaiah 40:31 he says:

"The figure Catabasis here illustrates the effect of growth in Grace. At first the believer flies; but as his experience increases he runs and at the end of his course he walks. Like Paul who first said "I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles" (2 Cor 11:5, 12:11). Later he writes, I "am less than the least of all the Saints" (Eph 3:8); while at the end of his life he says, I am the chief of sinners! (1 Tim 1:15)."

But don't think that the depreciation from flying to walking equals a depreciation in Joy! While thinking about this I remembered a verse that I feel is linked, Phil 1:25,

"And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,"

A Pilgrim's progress is not made in the air but on the ground and all progress brings Joy to the one who gave due diligence in doing the Word of God. This Joy is the very same Joy that Jesus Christ Himself had in Fellowship with the Father while He 'dwelt' (tabernacled) on the earth.

I haven't been Walking with God for many years but when I see how I have changed, even in little ways, it gives me Joy - because I am not only with Jesus, I am in Him too and being confomed to His image. Imagine that!

Do you think God gets anything out of our Joyful Progress of Faith? Truly, our Progress is dependent upon our submitting to God's discipline and correction, or in a word, Love (see Proverbs 3:12). Do you think God likes it when we obey this discipline and direction/correction? After all, our Love to God is our obedience to His every Word (John 14:15,21,23,24) and this Love is, as I have reliably been told, back-at-cha!

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Prov 8:17

God's Discipline IS Truth and Love. So when we get in line with His correction what we are doing is walking in Truth (see 2 John 1:4), and as John says, as a Father it gives him "no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth." (3 John 1:4)

May all of God's Children take time to spend time in God's Word with Him at their side and then to listen and watch for Him and Obey Him.