Infinitely More

Ephesians 3:20 "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Infinitely: having no limits; extremely large or great

I want to look at one example of God's "infinitely more" from the book of Acts. 

Acts 3:1-8 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 

God, working through Peter, did not give the man what he asked for. He wanted money to support himself. God gave him infinitely more; freedom from the slavery of begging and being at the mercy of other people. He could now control where he went, how he made a living, etc. He was just trying to survive that one day, God gave him all his days. And in light of verse 8, he gained eternity as well!!  

On a more personal note. I have been praying for Scott to find a job for two 1/2 years. We needed the income (I thought).  However, God saw my real need. My eternal need. There were areas in my life that needed healing and freedom. 

Like the lame man I was a prisoner to much of my past. I was a slave to the emotional scars from abuse and  hurtful words spoken to me and over my life. 

During this season of "famine" in our life, I have had hours each day to spend sitting at the feet of my Savior. He has revealed the scares and the source of each one. He has healed the scares lovingly and gently one by one. He has changed how I view the events which caused the scares to begin with. 

If my loving Heavenly Father had answered my prayer and given Scott a job when I first started praying, I might not have felt the deep need to spend the hours alone with Jesus. If I had not spent the hours with him, I would still be a slave today. 

When we pray, we must remember that our Father wants our best. He wants to set us free and give is abundant life. He knows how best to accomplish this if we yield to him and act toward him in gratitude not resentment or doubt.  

Too often we frail humans get resentful or discouraged and begin to doubt when our prayers are not met the moment we pray. Instead, we need to seek harder and ask God to teach us the lessons we need to learn through the circumstances we find ourselves in. 

Remember: Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."