God is Able

Brother Gary Rowlette brought the revival message.

Daniel 3:13 “Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

From the scripture we see these boys were convinced that God is able. We may feel we are facing an impossible situation. There are needs everywhere. Never give up on God. He is able.

God is able to do the impossible. In Matthew 19 a rich young ruler ran to Jesus and knelt at his feet.  He asked what good thing he could do to inherit eternal life. We don’t know what was working in his heart to draw him to the Lord. There is nothing wrong with riches in themselves. Maybe he wanted to give some money. He was no doubt a good man. He wanted to know what he could do, so Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The young man asked which ones.  Jesus said “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” The young man said he had kept them all his life. Jesus told him to sell what he had and give to the poor. The man went away sorrowful. Then Jesus told the disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven.  The disciples were confused and asked “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus said “with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Abraham was told at the age of 75 he’d have a son. Twenty-five years went by and no baby came. Of Abraham, Romans 4:18-19 says “against hope [he] believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb.” He didn’t consider the deadness of Sara’s womb. Not many old women have babies.  Yet verse 20 says “he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  What was impossible with man was possible with God.

God is able to provide. Philippians 4:19 says “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God has never written a check that bounced. Things may not be in your hands today, but they SHALL be when they are needed. Jacob told Pharaoh that in his 130 years the Lord had given him everything he needed. The economy is changing, but God’s store house of provisions does not change. He fed the prophet by the ravens. He fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. In Psalm 78 we’re told how Israel spoke against God saying “can God furnish a table in the wilderness.”  Don’t say “can God” say “God can.” Three to four million people needed water.  “Waters gushed out [of the rock], and the streams overflowed.”  They asked “can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people?” God “rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.” God was able to provide their need.

God is able to hear and answer prayers. Sometimes we think it gets nowhere, but God hears his children and answers their prayers.  Ephesians 3:20 says God can do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” In Psalm 142 David said “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”  Have you ever been down so low that it seems no one cared? Have you felt alone during the night hours?  Daniel prayed for 21 days for the same thing.  When the angel of the Lord came, he told Daniel the Lord heard him the first time, but he was hindered from coming. Daniel kept asking. He didn’t give up.  David found what he needed. He said “I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

Moses is a type of Christ. After 430 years in bondage, the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.”  God saw it. He heard it. He knew it. He said “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.”  He answered their prayers.

He is able to keep us from falling. It’s a crazy world. We’ve seen powerful people in the Lord fall. Peter’s problem was that he got his eyes off Jesus, yet when he cried “Lord, save me” immediately the Lord reached out his hand.  He kept Peter from falling.  Jude 1:24 says “now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy…be glory.” Not only can God keep us from falling he can present us without fault to himself.

God is able to reimburse us for everything we do for him. Some say it doesn’t pay to serve the Lord anymore. Yes it does.  Hebrews 6:10 says “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.” I Corinthians 15:58 says “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Jesus said if we give a cup of water in his name he’ll reward us. It’s not time to loosen up; it’s time to tighten up. If others around are discouraged, be an encourager. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Only what is done for him will last.

Don’t rule yourself out in this. God can do the same for you.