HE CAN DO ANYTHING
I stood next to my dad watching a Vegematic demonstration at the Anderson County fair in South Carolina. Squirming with boredom, I noticed a sign at the next booth… “Paul Anderson, Worlds Strongest Man.” I weighed my options: Meet the strongest man on earth or watch carrots being juiced. I begged my dad. He nodded in consent.
Stepping inside, I gasped. There sat a giant, effortlessly curling a set of dumbbells as big as a VW bug. The massively muscular man smiled and said, “Hey kid, How ya doin’?”
“Uh, uh, uh,” was all I could manage.
He shook my hand, his huge mitt swallowing mine. “My name’s Paul Anderson. What’s yours?”
My mind went blank. “Uh, uh… Barney,” I finally managed to spit out.
Pointing to the dumbbells, Anderson asked, “You wanna try?”
“Sure!” I replied.
Bending down, I attempted to lift the dumbbell. Nothing. I tried again. Nada. What was impossible for me was child’s play for the world’s strongest man. Suppose I had dropped a toothpick. Can you imagine Paul Anderson grunting and groaning, struggling to pick it up?
Right now, think of the biggest challenge in your life. It could be health, marriage, children, struggling with sin, or a work-related issue. That one area of life, no matter how hard you try, you can’t overcome, like an eight-year-old lifting a huge dumbbell. But like Paul Anderson, it’s effortless for Jesus. He can do anything!
Ephesians 3:20 declares that God can do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (NKJV). Not just what we think, or more than we think. He can do exceedingly abundantly more! Jesus can handle our worst problem as easily as lifting a toothpick. So why doesn’t he instantly fix our troubles? No idea. You’ll have to ask him about that. But never doubt. He can do it.
Paul Anderson is a legend. To this day, he holds the record for the greatest weight ever raised off the ground by a human being—6,270 pounds—over three tons! But even he bowed the knee to Christ, serving the Lord until his death, through the Paul Anderson Youth Home, because he understood Jesus has all power. Sixty years later, I recall my weakness in his presence, and we’re all reminded of the unlimited power of the one-and-only Jesus Christ, Son of God, who can do anything.
Principle: Jesus has all power and can do anything.
Ponder:
What is the biggest struggle you’re facing in life right now?
How can you surrender it to Jesus and allow him to bring the healing you need?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Ephesians 3:14-21.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I praise you for your almighty power. You overcame death, and you can do anything. Fill me with your power”
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