The Exceedingly Abundant Ability of God
When we stop striving, God's gentle hand untangles what we could never fix on our own.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace – Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reading from Ephesians 3:20–21 draws our gaze upward—not toward our own limited capacity, but toward the infinite ability of God. Bob’s devotional gently confronts a common error: assuming that godliness grows out of our self-effort. Instead, we are invited to marvel at the One who works not merely with us, but within us.
The Apostle Paul does not conclude his prayer with a focus on human potential but with exalting praise: “Now to Him who is able…” God is not just able—He is exceedingly abundantly able to do more than we can even ask or imagine. This is not motivational exaggeration; it’s a description of divine reality.
The devotional underscores that God’s method for transforming us is deeply internal. He doesn't pressure us from the outside to conform to religious behavior. He plants His power within us—establishing our hearts by grace, not performance. We become living testimonies of His glory as He changes us from the inside out.
When we shift our focus away from our own striving and instead rest in His indwelling power, our lives reflect true transformation. Then, all the glory returns to Him, as it should.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am the One who made the heavens and the earth by My great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for Me. I formed you, and I dwell within you—not to watch from afar, but to work My grace from the inside out. My power is not reserved for the extraordinary; it is active within your ordinary moments, shaping your thoughts, your desires, your reactions, your pace.
I am able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all you ask, and far beyond what you even imagine. This is not about pushing you to try harder—it is about revealing what I can do as you trust Me more deeply.
Let your heart be established by grace. I am not calling you to prove yourself—I am inviting you to be transformed by My presence within you. What begins in your heart will bear fruit in your character, and when others see the change, they will know it is Me. In your weakness, I pour out My strength. In your smallness, I display My abundance. I will be glorified in you because I am the One doing the work.
So rest, My child. The pressure is not on you to produce a holy life. The power is Mine, and I am working in you.
(Scripture references: Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:27; Ephesians 3:20–21; Hebrews 13:9)
Real-Life Analogy
Have you ever tried to untangle a tightly knotted necklace chain? You pull and twist and fumble, making it worse—until someone with calm hands steps in, gently working out the knots with patient precision.
That’s what it’s like when you stop trying to fix your life in your own effort. The more you tug and strive, the tighter the knots seem to get. But when you entrust the situation—and yourself—to God, His gentle, inner work untangles what you could not. He doesn’t demand more effort from you; He offers His quiet power to do in you what you couldn’t do alone.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I praise You that Your ability is far beyond what I can imagine. You are not waiting for me to measure up—you’re already working in me by Your Spirit. I rest in the truth that You do not ask me to live for You in my own strength. You invite me to let You live through me. So I trust You now. You know what I need before I ask. You know the transformation that’s unfolding even when I don’t see it. And I believe You will be glorified—not because I performed, but because You revealed Your glory in my life. I give You thanks for Your immeasurable grace already working within me.