Larry P. Stover

Stover lives in Valley Grande and is the former pastor at Praise Park Ministries Church of the Nazarene.

I am always awestruck at the power of God. He “spoke” the world into order as He created it out of nothing. Who can fathom the power of our God who said, “Let there be light,” and that light was created out of nothing.

As the pages of the Old Testament are unfolded we see the power of God demonstrated in the Plagues on Egypt and the eventual moving on Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel leave and head toward the Promise Land. As that journey develops we see that same power demonstrated as the People of God cross the Jordan River on dry ground and miraculously conquer the land with the only explanation, “God did it.”

When Jesus walked on this earth, we saw that power demonstrated more personally in the lives of people. Matthew 4:24 gives insight. It reads, “news about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.”

Countless people, in that day, realized that there was nothing beyond the power of God to make a difference in their daily lives.

That was then. This is now. What about us? As believers we have to accept as truth that God knows what is going on in our lives and He knows what we need. Other people around us are experiencing the “hand of God” working in their lives and modern miracles are still happening. Are we missing something?

Sometimes, as Christians, we assume that His grace is continually providing everything we need and want.

We have taken the Biblical equation of God’s blessings and made it a “one way street” expecting the power of God to be released in our lives with no apparent requirement on our part being necessary to see the fulfillment of those blessings.

Scripture is very plain in teaching us that most of God’s blessings and anointing’s are the direct result of our faithfulness and obedience to His commandments. That means that we have an obligation to God if we want to see more of His power directed to our lives.

Evidence was seen of this in the ministry of Jesus. He was turning the world upside-down and came to his hometown to minister to the needs of His own people.

It is a sad scenario reminding us of what might have happened if those people would have recognized Him as the Messiah. We read in Matthew 13 these words, “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at him. And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

Jesus could have done so much more for them but they didn’t believe that He could, so He didn’t. Those people set a limit as to the power of God in their lives. Their lack of faith put Him “in a box.” 

Is our lack of obedience and faith putting a limit on what God could do in our lives today? Modern Americans keep expecting God to unleash His power in their lives without the realization that so much of what He wants to do for us is dependent on a relationship with Him based on our faithfulness and obedience. 

Have you reached the limit, as to what God can do in your life, because your relationship with Him is so stagnant and sterile that you no longer see Him as a vital piece in the puzzle of your life?

There is nothing that He can’t do. The possibilities are endless. He has so much more for you. Are you limiting the blessings of God in your life because you have set boundaries to His Omnipotence? Tear down those walls.

Ask God to restore the relationship with Him that once surrounded you with blessings and miracles beyond your limited imagination. It was that relationship that made your life “Simply Beautiful.”

Don’t allow your lack of faith and obedience to God take those possibilities away.