AN ORDINARY GOD
Researchers in Britain went door-to-door surveying residents about their belief in God. They asked, “Do you believe in a God who intervenes in human history, who changes the course of affairs, and who performs miracles?” One man responded, “No, I don’t believe in that God; I believe in the ordinary God." His answer so impacted the researchers, they entitled the study “An Ordinary God.”
“An ordinary God.” What does that even mean? In reality, God is anything but ordinary. In every possible way, He’s extraordinary. Ephesians 3:20 states that God "is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." Let your imagination run wild for a moment, dreaming of everything possible God might accomplish. God is not only able to do more than you can imagine. He's not only able to do abundantly more than that. He's able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever possibly imagine. Paul's choice of words takes on the form of a child's vocabulary: "Humungous, Fantabulous and Ginormous!"
But it gets even better. In verse 16, Paul prays, "that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." God wants to release His miraculous power into our lives, combining His "super" with our "natural" for a "super-natural" experience. He's waiting for us to ask.
I wonder how often do I believe in “An Ordinary God?” When faced with a crisis, how often do I run right past Him, clinging to my own solutions? I fret and fuss, with blood pressure spiking and a headache pounding, forgetting how the extra-ordinary God is on the job, keeping His promise to abundantly supply my needs.
Every morning I need reminding that whatever I’m facing in the day ahead, God’s got it. I don’t need to understand what He's up to, or even like how he does it. I just need to surrender the day to Him. Whether it's my health or family or how much I DON’T have in my bank account, relying solely on my own resources, leads to epic failure. In reality, I possess the supernatural power of the Almighty Creator God, who lives in me. Not the "ordinary God." He doesn't exist. Because everything... EVERYTHING about Him is extraordinary.
Principle: Everything about God is extraordinary. He can do anything.
Ponder:
What challenges am I currently facing which I need to surrender to the Extraordinary God?
How can I engage deeper in a personal way with God, enabling me to draw on His power?
Promise: God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that I can ask or imagine.
Prayer: Almighty God, Fill me with the power of your infinite presence each morning. Keep me plugged into you as I go through my day
Probe: For a deeper dive, study Isaiah 40 and Psalm 29.
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today's devotional.