Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
--Ephesians 3:20-21
Jesus is in the business of opening doors for faithful Christians. Even in the most impossible of circumstances.
Today, you may feel how the Israelites felt when they were trapped against the Red Sea… with the Egyptian army behind them, and the mountains on either side of them. Talk about an impossible situation!
But what did God do? With a brush of His hand, He parted the waters and paved a highway right through the Red Sea… allowing the Israelites to escape Pharaoh’s army. He opened a door for them… and God can do the same thing for you!
“But wait, Pastor,” you say, “You don’t know how far in debt I am.” Or, “You don’t know how badly I’ve messed up my marriage.” And you know what? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the size of your God will determine the size of the way He blesses and delivers you from whatever Red Sea you may be facing today.
Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” Do you really believe this?
Maybe you’ve been waiting for God to part the waters in your life for a while now… and you’re starting to lose patience. If so, stay faithful. Keep your eyes on Christ. As I’ve said before, if you’re a child of God, He’s got His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He won’t let you give you more than you can bear!
It’s my prayer that whatever your situation, no matter what you may be facing today, you will faithfully look to God and trust Him to open that door for you!
Jesus is in the business of opening doors for faithful Christians.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”
Luke 21:1–4
Dr. George Truett told of a church meeting where he had been asked to assist with a fund raising campaign for a church that had been struggling financially because the people would not give. He said, “It was the slowest and most reluctant giving I have ever encountered.” When he finished his exhortation and the pledges were taken, they had less than half the money needed. Dr. Truett said that an elderly couple in the back then volunteered to sell their house to make up the difference—they had been offered exactly the amount remaining that needed to be raised for it the day before. But in less than five minutes, the previously stingy congregation rallied to pledge the entire amount so the couple could keep their home. The sacrifice of that couple motivated them to give.
When we realize that all we have belongs to God, it is impossible to justify refusing to give. Sometimes we make the excuse that we do not give because of our lack. But in reality, even small gifts have a big impact. The British statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke said, “No man ever made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” The Lord after all does not need our money. We are not helping Him when we give. He is far more concerned about the condition of our heart than the size of our offering.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The measure of our generosity is not found in the amount of the gift, but in the sacrifice of the gift.
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