By the British writer Gordon Chilvers
Unlimited POWER for Us
w , W m hat God is able to do for us and through us is so astounding as to be almost unbelievable. Time and time again in Scripture we read of the tremendous power of God. As far as its employment is for our benefit, the omnipotence of God is ours for the asking. Our Lord gives a remarkable il lustration of this fact in an inter view He had with a distressed fath er. The man had a lunatic son; he brought him to the disciples, but found they could not cure him. In agony he cried to the Lord: “ If thou canst do any thing . . . ” (Mark 9: 22). The Lord replied: “ If thou canst believe?” You say: “ Can I?” I say: “ Can you?” Jesus then picked up the father’s point with a wonderfully penetrat ing power. He showed the way of power and where its limits lay. “ All things are possible to him that be- lieveth.” Here we have the omnip otence of faith. “ If we believe” is the limitation. W e often blame God for our failure. If we were to search our own "hearts we should find that the blame for our weakness and failure is all on our side. The faith spoken of may be weak faith, but being faith it is that which counts. When the suspension bridge across Niagara was erected, a kite took a string over to the other side; to this string a cord was attached and drawn over. Then a rope which drew a larger rope, and after that a cable strong enough to sustain an iron cable. This suppo r ted the bridge, and over it heavily-laden trains now pass in safety. It could never have been done but for the small kite. This story represents a faith which, t hough weak, yet reaches to Christ and heaven. Faith
may be weak but it is faith in an omnipotent God. Yet the lack of faith is a true and sharp limitation. Christ was able to raise the dead and cure any sort of disease, yet we read of Him: “ And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt. 13:58). Every one of us can enjoy this power or prevent it from working in us. To that extent we are lords over our own lives and God will not compel us to have His pow er when we do not want it. One verse from the Epistles of Paul shows us God’s side of the mat ter. God “ is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20). Whatever we ask for in prayer, God is able to give. This is a great en couragement to us. God is able to do what any man asks whether he be an inspired apostle or the hum blest believer. We can ask what we will (provided that it is within the will of God) and He will be able to grant our request. No man yet asked up to the abil ity of God to give. When Herod wanted to make an outstanding present to Herodias’ daughter he of fered her anything she asked up to one-half of his kingdom. It was a great gift but it could easily be mea sured and so was sharply limited. God has never put any such re striction on our asking. Moses asked God to show him His glory. There and then God gave him all he could bear at that time. Over 1000 years later he was with the Lord in glory on the mount. Solomon asked for wisdom: God gave him riches and honor as well. Martha and Mary asked for a cure in illness: God
gave them a resurrection from the dead. Paul asked for simple service: “ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6) : he wrote letters which have molded the lives of mil lions of God’s children. Once at a crisis in the work among the sol diers at Portsmouth, two workers, almost in despair, got down on their knees to ask God for funds. They asked for a few hundred pounds and the answer was £15,000. Again God is able to do what we think. There are certain thoughts that we have but we would not voice in petitions because we feel they are too ambitious. But we need not hesitate, God is able to do all we think. H ow e v e r high our thoughts rise they never get beyond the power of God to clothe them with reality. W e have no dream, no ambition, no desire but God is able to accomplish it. Finally, Paul says that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Paul extends language to its capacity to convey to us what God is able to do. He heaps word upon word and it still seems that he has not said all that he could say about God’s pow er. W e look to the horizon, we try to measure the land that is ours, but far beyond what we can see is what God has prepared for us. W e shall now notice some of the things God is able to do. God’s abil ity will keep our life safe despite all attack made by man or devil. “ . . . I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have commit ted unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). W e are secure because God keeps us. This is fundamental. It is not much use our knowing
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