“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)

 

When my oldest son was a little boy, I would take him to Toys R Us. We would look around. I would tell him to pick out something for himself. He would look at the Star Wars figures. I would look at the X-Wing Fighter with the remote control, thinking that I would like to get it for him. The truth is that I wanted to play with it, too. He would pick out his little figure. Then I would say, “I was thinking of getting you something better than that.” He always went along with my idea.

After a while, he started to learn something about Dad, which was that Dad liked to get presents for his kids. He came to realize that it was better to say, “I don’t know what to get, Dad. You choose it for me.” He came to realize that my choices were often better than what he chose for himself.

Paul sends a similar message about our heavenly Father in Ephesians 3:20. The difference is that God’s generosity is perfect because God is perfect. He isn’t limited by resources. He isn’t swayed by moods, feelings, or impulses. He doesn’t have to guess at what might be meaningful or right for us. He designed us. He knows our code. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Sometimes that can be hard for us to accept. We don’t always recognize God’s perfect generosity because we allow misconceptions to warp our view of who He is and what He does. We fall for the lie that He’s a cosmic killjoy, always on the lookout for things that bring us joy so that He can put an end to them.

And we compound the problem by being dazzled by temporary thrills—opportunities that have surface appeal but no real depth. Things that have no lasting value, that bring no sense of meaning, purpose, or fulfillment. Or, like my son, we’re content to settle for something small, something that pales in comparison to what we might have.

Our enemy knows our tendencies and weaknesses and does everything in his power to exploit them. Look at his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. He appealed to Jesus’ immediate physical needs. He offered fame and power. He wanted Jesus to settle for something less than the grand, glorious plan of God to redeem the world. And he does the same to us. He emphasizes flash over substance. He urges us to choose immediate gratification over long-term fulfillment.

One of the many reasons God’s Word encourages us to become mature in our faith is so that we will recognize His generosity and respond with a spirit of gratitude. A mature faith understands that even though we have done nothing to earn God’s favor, He wants only what is ultimately best for us.

 

Reflection Question: When have you experienced God’s generosity in your life?

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&ldquo;Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.&rdquo; (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)
&nbsp;
When my oldest son was a little boy, I would take him to Toys R Us. We would look around. I would tell him to pick out something for himself. He would look at the Star Wars figures. I would look at the X-Wing Fighter with the remote control, thinking that I would like to get it for him. The truth is that I wanted to play with it, too. He would pick out his little figure. Then I would say, &ldquo;I was thinking of getting you something better than that.&rdquo; He always went along with my idea.
After a while, he started to learn something about Dad, which was that Dad liked to get presents for his kids. He came to realize that it was better to say, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what to get, Dad. You choose it for me.&rdquo; He came to realize that my choices were often better than what he chose for himself.
Paul sends a similar message about our heavenly Father in Ephesians 3:20. The difference is that God&rsquo;s generosity is perfect because God is perfect. He isn&rsquo;t limited by resources. He isn&rsquo;t swayed by moods, feelings, or impulses. He doesn&rsquo;t have to guess at what might be meaningful or right for us. He designed us. He knows our code. He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Sometimes that can be hard for us to accept. We don&rsquo;t always recognize God&rsquo;s perfect generosity because we allow misconceptions to warp our view of who He is and what He does. We fall for the lie that He&rsquo;s a cosmic killjoy, always on the lookout for things that bring us joy so that He can put an end to them.
And we compound the problem by being dazzled by temporary thrills&mdash;opportunities that have surface appeal but no real depth. Things that have no lasting value, that bring no sense of meaning, purpose, or fulfillment. Or, like my son, we&rsquo;re content to settle for something small, something that pales in comparison to what we might have.
Our enemy knows our tendencies and weaknesses and does everything in his power to exploit them. Look at his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. He appealed to Jesus&rsquo; immediate physical needs. He offered fame and power. He wanted Jesus to settle for something less than the grand, glorious plan of God to redeem the world. And he does the same to us. He emphasizes flash over substance. He urges us to choose immediate gratification over long-term fulfillment.
One of the many reasons God&rsquo;s Word encourages us to become mature in our faith is so that we will recognize His generosity and respond with a spirit of gratitude. A mature faith understands that even though we have done nothing to earn God&rsquo;s favor, He wants only what is ultimately best for us.
&nbsp;
Reflection Question: When have you experienced God&rsquo;s generosity in your life?
<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

God’s gifts are infinitely better than anything we might choose for ourselves.