It’s no secret that we are living in a challenging time. Uncertainty is the standard of the day and there is no telling how long it’s going to go on. The good thing is that as a born-again child of God we can be confident that our lives do not depend entirely on what’s going on around us, the political climate, or the state of the economy. The Word tells us that we are not of this world.
Colossians 1:12-14 tells us:
12Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light.
13[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.(AMP)
We have been transferred into the kingdom of His Son. We are no longer under the dominion of this world and it’s conditions. We are subject to the dominion and conditions of the kingdom of Jesus. The quality of our lives is dictated by His ability and not our own. It is extremely important for us to realize that we live by a higher standard that allows us to succeed when all around us are failing.
Eph. 3:20 says:
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, (NKJV)
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—(AMP)
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it says that we cannot even imagine what God has in store for us and what He can do through us. We are all called to be ministers of the gospel in different ways. What we don’t realize is how much God can do with that calling in our particular place with our particular gifting. (Eph. 4:16) Our biggest problem is that we don’t imagine big enough! Our dreams are too small!
Think about Moses as he’s standing before the burning bush, in the middle of the desert, after 40 years of believing he’s messed up the call of God on his life. Having handled his ministry in the wrong way at the beginning, he was, no doubt, discouraged, dejected, and dysfunctional in his approach to life. He must have felt that there was no way that God would ever be able to use him again, or that he would ever be any more than a shepherd. He must have felt tremendous guilt and responsibility for having destroyed his ministry through one act of violence. How many of us have felt the same way, believing that something we did has disqualified us from our calling. We feel like we are totally useless to God and destined to now live out our lives in survival mode just to do whatever good we can do until we finally get to go home.
Then comes the bush. God gives us His Word that tells us we’ve been transformed! We’re not just the sum total of our actions or even our own talents and giftings. We are the potential deliverance power of God in this earth! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people in ministry say that they never imagined that they would be involved in the ministry they are in today. They never imagined it would be as far-reaching and effective as it is. What they did was to just take a step into the footprints set before them, following the leading of God in pure obedience. What they didn’t realize at the time was that God had a plan, and all He needed was obedient action.
Moses had a choice to make. Respond to God’s call on his life or turn and go about his business as usual. What if he had been a small thinker, like so many of us are? Would Israel have been delivered? Would God have found someone else? We certainly wouldn’t be talking about Moses today. How many of us choose not to respond to God’s call as a result of our small vision and lack of imagination? If we had any idea what He can and will do through us we would be motivated to do whatever it takes to be obedient. You may say, “Well, Moses had a burning bush, if I saw a burning bush it would be different.” But I would say, you have a burning bush! It’s The Bible, the written Word of God given to you as a guide, and manual for your life. The burning bush is the revelation we receive from the written word. When we study His Word it transforms us from this kingdom of darkness, defeat, and destitution world into a kingdom of unimaginable, fulfilling possibility. Moses had a choice when he saw the bush burning. You see it’s not that unusual to see a bush burning in the desert. It’s so dry and hot that from time to time spontaneous combustion will take place and the odd, dry bush will just go up in flames on it’s own. But this one was not consumed! Moses had to be paying attention. He had to have his eyes open. He could have just passed on by but instead he turned to investigate. (Exodus 3:3) God met him there, and God will meet us as well. When we look into His Word, and pay attention, He will meet us where we are, and reveal His ability in us.
He is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly more than we dare ask or even imagine! What is that in you life? What is it in my life? Only God knows at this point. I believe that even those of us who believe we are directly in the center of God’s will for our lives, fulfilling our purpose in Him, would be amazed if we knew how far beyond our comprehension His plans go.
The first step though is to realize that He is able. Regardless of your present situation or circumstance, God is able to do far more than you can imagine. This applies to every aspect and need in you life. Pay attention! Look into His Word so you can see the burning bush. Give Him a little of every day. Be aware of His presence, and don’t just keep walking when you see something unusual. Expect God to reveal Himself to you in an intimate way and you will begin to see the bush and hear His voice.
