Exceedingly Abundantly
“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, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20, NKJV.
How often do we hear that God can do “exceedingly and abundantly” in our lives? The meaning behind Ephesians 3:20 is that God is able to perform things in your life that go beyond your biggest prayers, your deepest desires, and your “if only” imaginations. It’s a commonly quoted verse in the Bible, especially when the year is coming to a close, and for good reason. But have you ever taken a moment to notice the condition embedded in this verse? God can perform exceedingly abundantly “according to the power that works in us[.]” The condition here is that God can only perform exceedingly and abundantly in your life depending on your level of submission and obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit in you. Stated another way, if you don’t submit to the work of God in you or obey what he asks of you, you won’t be able to receive exceedingly and abundantly above what you’re praying for because your disobedience doesn’t give God the opportunity to do it his way. We obtain an abundance of blessings in our lives when we allow God to have his way.
I know obedience is a scary term but it’s simply an opportunity. Obedience gives God the opportunity to work through you to perform his will himself.
Obeying God is as close as we can get to God coming down and performing his will in our lives himself.
Imagine that.
Obedience does not equate to a miserable life. The lie you may be unknowingly convinced of is that obeying God means you have to be unhappy and lose out on the pleasures of life. Do you know that God already knows your limitations? We, on our own, do not have the ability to obey God. If you think you can’t do it, then that’s exactly right. What the Bible tells us is that the Holy Spirit will energize us, meaning he’ll give us the ability to do what we cannot do. Essentially, God will help you obey him - you’re not being asked to do it on your own. I understand if you’re worried about what obedience may bring you through but have you ever just tried God? Have you ever dared to venture out to see just how steady his hand that upholds you is?
The beautiful news is that when you allow God to have his way in your life, especially in the areas that are seemingly unrelated to the things you’re praying for, what God can perform goes beyond what any man has seen or heard. (1 Corinthians 2:9). God will quite literally open up the heavens and “pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10). God can and will exceed your wildest imaginations. (Ephesians 3:20). He’ll make a way for you where there seems to be no way. (Isaiah 43:19). He’ll cause people to show favor to you. He will open up doors for you. And He won’t only do just this, but He’ll cause it to last. That which comes from God lasts. He’ll tend to the fruit of your ground. He will cause the obedience you’ve sown in faith to blossom into overflow.
“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” Ephesians 3:20, TPT (The Passion Translation).