GOD IS STILL ABLE TODAY (2)

If you were beset with problems, but you could hear Jesus in the next room praying for you, wouldn’t that help you in whatever you were facing? Should Jesus’ location make that much difference? He is constantly making intercession for us in heaven. In Jude 24, 25, we have this great benediction: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

In the flesh, we tremble. We know that the body is constantly decaying; we have not the ability in ourselves to stop the sure march to the grave; but God is able to help us triumph. Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20, 21). At the end of this passage, the KJV has “he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” When God is with us, we can lean upon His strength and not our own. With God’s help, we can lead lives of triumph!

God is able today if thoughtful children of God have always realized the fact that God does not automatically do everything He is able to do. We need, therefore, to add an “if” to the statement that God is able: “God is able to do (and He will do) if . . .” First, God is able if what is to be done is in accordance with His will. After stating that “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire”, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego added, “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17,18). In other words, they were saying, “Even if it is the Lord’s will not to deliver us, we will still love and serve Him.” As it turns out, it was God’s will to deliver them, but they recognized the possibility that it might not be—and if that was the case, that was all right with them.

A striking illustration of the fact that God does not do everything He is able to do is the cross. In Hebrews 5:7 we read that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus “offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, . . .” God was able to save Jesus from death, but He did not. Why? Because that was not in accordance with His will. Regarding God’s ability, we always need the attitude of Jesus in the garden: “Not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42b; Matthew 26:39; 1 Corinthians 4:19; James 4:15).

Second, God is able if we let Him. The phrase “if we let Him” may sound strange—but we can limit God. That is the way God set up our world. We can limit Him by unbelief. In Matthew 9:28b–30a, Jesus asked two blind men, “‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘Be it done to you according to your faith.’ And their eyes were opened.” We can limit Him by ignorance. God’s Word is an expression of God, so we are not surprised to find passages that speak of God’s Word being able—able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15) and able to save us (James 1:21). However, if we are ignorant of that Word, it will have no power in our lives. All the great figures in the Bible who accomplished marvelous deeds were really just weak individuals like you and me—but they had God’s power.

Word Affirmation: “ The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot." - Psalm 16:5 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“ God can do without us; we cannot do without Him! "

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