‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.…’
Ephesians 3:20
But reality is sometimes different.
‘More than all we ask or think’ ? Too often ‘more’ seems ‘less’ than expected or hoped for, and we feel ‘under-whelmed’ by the unfulfilled promise. Striving to be what we know we are meant to be. Challenged by unfinished tasks. Aware of weakness, when we need power. Of uncertainties of doubt when faith seems to fail. Many unanswered prayers. Plenty of ‘if onlys’. Breakthrough an unreal dream.
O Lord! How long? At present we can only hang on in faith, waiting for more.
A visitor to the Olympics in Rio was trying to photo friends in front of the huge statue of Christ there, but she exclaimed ” I can’t get all of Christ into the picture”.
Precisely! How pitiably small is our vision of our wonderful Lord!
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What does ‘More’ look like? Like this perhaps?
“Jesus has done great, very great things for me ..: but I see infinitely greater things before me. There is an inexhaustible fullness in Jesus Christ out of which I hope to draw to the endless ages of eternity. Sometimes my heart is so full that I am tempted to think:
‘..my joy complete: when lo!
Emmanuel’s mercies rise,
Still fresh discoveries he makes,
The lovely treasures yet surprise…’
I find there is yet oil, if there be yet a vessel, and an empty heart to contain it. Pray that my heart may be emptied of self, and that Jesus may be my all in all.”
These lovely words from a letter by George Whitefield in 1742 during the remarkable Great Awakening in the 18th century, point to the ‘much more’ that there is to be discovered in our glorious Lord. In him, there are infinite ‘fresh discoveries’ and ‘new treasures yet to surprise’ us throughout eternity. A wonderful prospect!
“What bliss you experience when your heart is pure! For then your eyes will open to see more and more of God.”
Matthew’s Gospel 5:8 in ‘The Passion Translation’
Seeing Christ’s glory in heaven
‘Christ’s glory is infinite—we can never search unto the bottom of it– it is perpetually new ….. all the saints of God will drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand, be satisfied with his likeness, and re-fresh themselves in the eternal springs of life, light, and joy for evermore.’
From ‘Meditations on the Glory of Christ’ by John Owen
Does this ring any bells?
“However one thing threw me in the meeting a week ago, unlike other people there that night I felt nothing! I enjoyed the meeting, I participated willingly, but compared to similar works I had experienced in the past, I had no sense of God’s presence. Yet I knew this was because of me, not the meeting! But, since then, I have thought about virtually nothing else but Jesus! It has taken me over a week to take all this in, that He has grabbed hold of my life and won’t let go! Would I go back? Absolutely – I would go anywhere Jesus is present. But I don’t need to GO anywhere – He is present where I am. I had no sense of that before I went to Victory, but I have since.”
A Listening Heart 