The Light of Christ Journey

Jesus gives us more than we ask because God is generous. Paul writes about this generosity. 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. ^[1] Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote this verse to testify to what God had done in his life and could do in ours. Sometimes, we need to remember God has unlimited power and is sovereign. The Lord has fantastic plans for our lives, and as we step forward in faith, we will be surprised that the Lord will consistently do more than we can imagine.

Jesus Surprises a Lame Man When He Heals Him

As Jesus traveled back to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the Jewish Holy days, He went to a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years lying by the pool of Bethesda. As Jesus met him, He asked the sick man if he wanted to be well. The man told Jesus that he had no one to put him in the pool, which was thought to have healing powers. In his own mind, he felt helpless.

Luke 5:⁸ Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” ⁹ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!^[2] The man was looking for help getting in the pool, and Jesus did something more significant than he could imagine. Often, we are much like the man in our story.

We are looking for Jesus to do something in our lives; when He does, it is much greater than we could have imagined. We tend to limit God in our lives as we try to bring Him down to our level. Despite our weaknesses, the Lord pours out His generosity, helping us fulfill His plans for our lives and showing His power in our weaknesses.

Jesus Wants More For Us

The Lord wants more for us than we want for ourselves because He knows what we can become. We often settle for less because seeing beyond where we are is difficult. As we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, He will lead us down a path that will transform us. 2 Corinthians 5:¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” ^[3]

Allow me to expand your thinking today because we are children of the King. The plans we come up with are only a shadow compared to God’s plans. The good news is the Lord can take our limited life and expand our hearts and purposes in ways we can’t fathom. Matthew 19:²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible.” ^[4]  Take time today to ask God for the impossible.

To learn how Jesus gives more than we ask, listen here:

https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/healing-at-a-pool

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^[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.