The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Power and the Price"
Part 4 - Quiet Devotion
"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
The poet suggested that "the masses of men lead lives of quiet desperation." This contrasts with believers, who lead lives of quiet devotion.
Consider the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived more than 90% of His earthly lifetime unrecognized as "God… manifest in the flesh" to nearly all who knew Him (I Timothy 3:16). Power beyond all imagining nevertheless teemed within Him, to the measure of "exceeding abundantly above." Why was it not more witnessed during the vast majority of His lifetime? The purpose of God provides the answer. He meant for His Son to live a lifetime of mostly quiet devotion, reserving manifestations of obvious glory for a relatively short period of time. "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him" (Mark 6:3).
Because salvation and a life lived for God's glory must be received by faith and "not by sight" in our present existence, our Heavenly Father necessarily limits many of the sights and sounds we might expect of "exceeding, abundantly above… power" (II Corinthians 5:7). The power works nonetheless, providing abundant grace for a life lived in faithfulness to God, and with occasional open confirmations of His presence and involvement. We rejoice on such occasions, when our Lord makes Himself overt and obvious. Generally speaking, however, we rejoice when He makes Himself obscure, which is most of the time as "we walk by faith, not by sight."
I often illustrate this by considering a simple act believers perform that actually involves the limitless power of God, namely, giving thanks before a meal. Scripture commands that we do so, making the practice a matter of obedience (I Timothy 4:4). What constitutes our ability to fulfill all obedience? The power of God, of course, the "exceeding, abundantly above" power that "worketh in us." The simplest act of devotion to God requires such enabling. "Without Me, ye can do nothing" declared the Lord Jesus (John 15:5). We would not even think of such an expression of gratitude, nor would we actually do so in sincerity, were it not for the Holy Spirit's motivation and enabling - His "exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think" motivation and enabling. Countless other seemingly small, but actually glorious acts of obedience flow from the mighty river of grace resident in those who trust the risen Lord Jesus.
Let us rejoice when God makes Himself obvious. Let us also rejoice in most of our experience, when He seems to make Himself obscure. Those wise in the working of our Lord as known in this present life expect Him in both expressions of the power that created all things, and that moves within us to enable the quiet devotion that most characterizes our present lives in Christ.
"We shall live with Him by the power of God."
(II Corinthians 13:40)
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."
(Colossians 1:9-11)
Weekly Memory Verse
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
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