The Mystery of God's Greatness

 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV).

 

I’ve never been able to attend many of the live theater performances offered in Fort Worth. However, when I have, they have always been an incredible surprise in the excellence of presentation. One in particular stands out in my memory. Mary and I were given two tickets to Cats at the Bass Performance Hall many years ago. The seats were in the third-row center stage. I was a bit skeptical that it would be entertaining, though all the folks I had talked with told me it was wonderful. When the song “Memory” was performed, I was truly moved. You might remember that "Memory" is the show tune composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Trevor Nunn based on poems by T. S. Eliot. It was written for the 1981 musical Cats, where it is sung primarily by the character Grizabella as a melancholic remembrance of her glamorous past and as a plea for acceptance. The performance delivered more than they had imagined.

 

God is like that. He always delivers more than we could possibly expect. Our reading today is the Apostle Paul’s declaration of that truth. Through Jesus, God has provided new life and amazing possibilities for us, and our Lord is able to do more than we could ever imagine in our wildest dreams. He knows every detail of our lives, and he knows the best life for us to live. There is a great mystery in that truth, yet it remains.

 

I hope you use today to simply sit still and imagine being with Jesus. Start with a Bible story you know, or read one that is new to you, and imagine what it was like to be there. What did God do? And what were the people around you doing? Immerse yourself in the details. Then, imagine what your story today could look like. Invite Jesus into your activities today and expect to have your imagination stretched.