Ephesians 3:20 NIV
[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,
Ephesians 3:20 AMP
[20] Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,
He is Capable
I tell you siblings, when I read our Nougat again today, in my head, I heard capable, not ‘able’. In one sense, they both convey the same thing: having skills, knowledge, or the right conditions to do something. Yet, capable suggests higher ability, that is, both knowledge and skills, and it usually is inferred under any condition.
When we then superimpose ‘capable’ in lieu of ‘able’, our Nougat could read, ‘Now unto him who in any circumstances, has the skills and knowledge to do …’, it shifts the meaning to indicate the breadth of YHWH’s ability. That’s closer to the Amplified Version. More importantly, it expands the limits we might have imposed on God.
Self-Check
Have we, perhaps after experiencing a disappointment, placed limits on God’s ability? I’ve done that before … this is a challenge for me to surmount
Application
Now that we’ve redefined that concept, let’s explore the positive aspects of our reflections.
Yesterday, we accepted that God’s power is at work within us. This is the same Triune God whose skills and knowledge transcend any and every circumstance! Can we allow that to resonate in our spirits for a bit? How does that feel? Do we believe it?
In my spirit, I heard a niggling. It is concerned about the times when God’s ‘No’ was pure disappointment. For, in such cases, it doesn’t feel like God is capable. Rather, it feels like God either doesn’t include us or that God isn’t powerful enough to be or do as promised.
Yet
This is God,Who created everything in the universe; Who stopped the sun from setting; Who cut a path through a wide river; Who rained manna from Heaven; Who healed Naaman, the Syrian (so God doesn’t only work with the Children of Israel); Who raised the widow’s son; Who miraculously transformed a boy’s lunch to a feast for thousands; Who defended the life of a woman caught in adultery; and Who became human to die for you and me.
Is God capable? Well, that’s a matter of perspective for some. As for me, even in the disappointment, I am, and remain, *wholly convinced* that God is capable of everything God has promised … and then some.
Point to Ponder
What if we choose to accept that God is capable, especially when our minds wish to convince us otherwise?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
