More than we Think or Imagine

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 

for ever and ever! Amen. 

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

So this post is going to be really short. I burned my finger this afternoon. I will be fine - but it still hurts and I have about 20 seconds that I can take it off the ice pack before it starts to throb. I am thankful that I did not burn more than one finger. You would not think a burn smaller than a dime would be so painful. 

I'm at my moms this week and we have been having a lot of fun cooking. 

 Everything is low carb with no white flours or sugar. I burned my finger on the waffle type iron that makes the shells for these stuffed Cannoli on the left, a wonderful Italian treat. The cake below is made with coconut flour. My kids said it was good enough to serve company.

Anyway, I am going to quit trying to do this in 20 second bursts or with one hand. 

My son Cai and I went bike riding yesterday down a gravel road and saw these tepee's. There was no one there and it was in the middle of a lot wild land. It almost felt like we were transported back in time. I have a pretty vivid imagination.  We road about 3 miles down a gravel road. We saw deer bounding over the tall grasses when we spooked them. It was a beautiful ride. I'm thankful for my bike and how well it rides on paved streets and gravel. 

Actually this is pretty cool, I have not been able to take my finger off the ice pack for 3 or 4 hours and I started working on this post and it hurt at first and I'd put my finger back on the ice and wait a minute and then type some more  and got to this point and it just stopped hurting. I kind of expected it might hurt for a day or so. At this point the big blister has dried up and I can put pressure on it with out it hurting. So this was immeasurably more than what I imagined. I would tend to say that when we move forward to do the things that God has called us to do even when we face obstacles, that God sees our faith and obedience and meets us at the point of our need.  I needed my finger to stop throbbing so I could type. When I started this post it was painful and not ok and at this point it feels pretty darn good. I will chalk it up to yet another little miracle of grace.  

So I would end this at this point but I feel like there is someone who's reading that is allowing the obstacles that are before you, to keeping you from moving forward with something God has put on your heart to do.  Start moving in God's direction and watch those obstacles fade away to very small things that you will wonder why you ever even worried about them. 

There were 12 spies sent to check out the promised land. Ten came back with amazing reports of what they had seen but looked at the giants and saw them to be a problem that God could not handle. Two guys came back and tried to encourage the people to trust God. Sadly Israel allowed the fear of the giants to be greater than their trust in God. In the end all the folks from that generation died off in the desert wandering over the next 40 years. Only two of that original bunch crossed over into the promised land and they were the 2 guys who trusted God in spite of the obstacles.    

Numbers 13:33

We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

I trust that God is at work in your life, doing immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. 

Maybe some of you will post in the comments and share how God is working in your life. 

Blessings, Margot 

Hinderances

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

How big is your giant hinderance?

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by 

such a great cloud of witnesses, 

let us throw off everything that  hinders 

and the sin that so easily entangles, 

and let us run with perseverance 

the race marked out for us.

There are some things that hinder us from making progress spiritually.
Here are a few bible examples for you to consider.

First there is Lots wife. The place where they live has become so wicked that God has decided its time to wipe them off the map. Abraham pleads with God that if he can find 10 righteous to spare it and with hold the judgement due. God finds only four. Lot and his wife and two daughters. From my reading they are not exactly spiritual giants there story is a bit dicy in places and Lot seems to me to be a pretty carnal minded guy. At one point the whole land is before him and he must choose which way he will go because he and Abraham must part ways. He chooses the most lush and easy lands and heads off to the good life.  I suppose the easy and hard path is another post. For today in this story, Lot and his family are rushed out of town by some angels and told don't look back. Lot's wife is lured by the old life and looks back and does not escape and becomes a pillar of salt. Worldly captivation prevents her escape.  (Ge 19::26) Is there some part of the old life that still tempts and lures you away from the things of God?


Another hinderance is that of David in 1 Samuel 17:39  David is about to face the giant and he goes to the king with his crazy faith. Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
 ³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Ok so he is only briefly hindered here - but there is a lesson to be learned. We are hindered when we attempt to use the things that God has given to another to equip them rather than use what he has given us. Was it the stone that killed the giant or David's faith that God was able? Is God bigger than the giant you are facing?


People who are discouraged can oppose us as they did in the building of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 4. ¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” ¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
 ¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” ¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” When we are discouraged we don't get much done. Nehemiah takes some precautions by posting people in key places and giving them the tools they needed to stand their ground. He speaks to them and reminds them to remember the Lord. If you are fighting discouragement today remember the things God has done before and pray and ask Him to cause courage and faith to rise up in you. Put on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

In Matthew 13 even Jesus was hindered by the unbelief of the towns folks in his home town of Nazareth. They just could not get past seeing him as Joseph and Marys son.  Some times we have to go beyond the familiar to find people who can see the calling of God on our life. I know when we used to travel and do concerts we were no big deal in our home town but go about 50 miles away and you suddenly became a big deal. Great people of faith that had come to bring the message of God. 

In the story of the rich young ruler it is his possessions that keep him from following Jesus. In our day and age it might be that fancy tv or your computer or all the stuff you've bought on credit and now have to work extra hours to pay off leaving you little or no time for God and kingdom work.

Sometimes our worry and the problems we imagine hinder us. In Mark 16:3-4 Mary and the girls want to go and put spices and anoint the body of Jesus and they worry along the way about how they will move the big stone at the entrance.  Sometimes God has already take care of the problem and we have spent energy worrying that was unnecessary.

Well that should be enough for you to chomp on today. Our verse reminds us to throw those weights and hinderances and the sin that so easily entangles off. Are there thing that are hinderances that you need to deal with? Ask God to help you see them and to help you find the courage to deal with those things. So you can move on in your walk and growth in Him.

Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help us to see the things that stand between us and more fully following you in your plans and purposes. Help us to examine our lives and deal with the sins that easily entangle us. Help us not go back to the old dead ways and habits but continue to walk in greater freedom in you.