Ephesians 3:20 Reflections

“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 is one of the most astounding verses in the New Testament. It both comforts and challenges the believer. The verse reminds us of the awesome and infinite God whose we are and whom we serve. The abilities of the Creator of the universe surpass our mental capacities of logic and imagination. Interestingly, He deposits that incredible power within each believer. From the mystery of birth in which we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:130-16), we are the gracious recipients of God’s creative power. However, we face the daily challenge of surmounting fear that plagues us. Can we find faith and trust to genuinely rely upon God in order to access and utilize this majestic and mysterious internal fortitude?

In the King James Version of the Bible, Ephesians 3:20 reads, “Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” While indeed redundant, the characterization, “exceedingly abundantly” richly describes the abilities of the infinite architect of the universe. The only limitations that God has are those that He freely chooses to place upon Himself.

The Bible primarily discloses the faithful and eternal love God has for humankind. God limits Himself by His unconditional love for us. He adheres faithfully to the covenant He made in Eden, repeated throughout the Old Testament and eternally sealed through the redemptive work of Christ. As a natural extension of God’s limitless love, He graciously chooses to utilize His infinite power to bless us. He is able to do more than we can conceive. Furthermore, He can do more than we ask. That is an amazing thought, considering we have a seemingly endless wish list. Yet, God can do more than we envision. When we consider our normal flights of fantasy, it is simply dumbfounding to think that God is able to satisfy our weirdest desires.

Do we possess the courage to ask or imagine? I suspect that many believers pass over this verse. We ignore it because it seems so far fetched. “Yeah, what a nice thought, Pollyanna!” But, should we find the faith and courage to rely upon the promises of this verse, we will travel spiritually and existentially to new and unimaginable vistas. Those heights may include financial blessings and material acquisition. More significantly, however, those views are places of love, truth, justice, joy, and peace, the enduring wealth of life. Such wealth is incalculable. Nonetheless, many believers will never obtain them because they simply lack the courage to ask for them.

Imagine your life without fear, doubt, disease, sin, and any other limitations that impede your ability to find inner healing and wholeness. Your meditations are more than wishful thinking. They can become real! God is able to do it! If you have faith in Him and demonstrate your genuine reliance upon Him by your willingness to follow His guidance and act upon His word, then you can live the “summum bonum,” the good life. Faith is a matter of asserting an unequivocal belief in the word and abilities of God. Trust is a matter of acting upon your faith. If you can imagine it, it is yours.

God accomplishes His work through us. Paul says in the verse that He works immeasurably “according to His power that is at work within us.” In order to realize the blessings and promises of this verse, we partner with God. As we daily seek His will, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve the resolution to our problems. Prayer is not magic nor is it wishful thinking. When we pray, we are asking God for revelation of wisdom and impartation of strength and willingness to take the necessary steps. Additionally, we ask Him to change holistically our attitude and character. Prayer is a sincere request to receive graciously the fortitude that emerges from the enduring presence of God.

This week, I pray that you will commit this awesome verse to your memory. Moreover, I pray that you will uncritically accept its divine promises and live into them.