To do or not to do

I have a to-do list for today, carved through thought and intention on Wednesday afternoon. It's filled with dots and tittles, things and such. I might even accomplish it.

But I can do infinitely more with Him by my side. That's the equation that works.

The Bible describes it this way: "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. Glory to him in church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!"

Get that. More than we might even ask or might even think.

The hymn writer said it this way: "Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pains we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

Here's my question this fine hot morning. What can't God do? What is it that we fail to ask him? What have we not thought of that needs thinking about? God is able. There is no lack in him. It is possible, just possible, that God is able to do all things and that through him we can do all things, as well. Nothing handicaps him, short sells him, stops him.

But our requests need help. How often do we fall short in the request department? You might have it in your thoughts to be a teacher but don't think you can do the schooling necessary. Have you asked God to help you? No, I don't mean take the darn tests for you, but, yes, I mean strengthen your talents, work on your study habits, keep you up when you get down.

All glory to God then comes when we make it to wherever the mountain top is in our lives, and we turn and give thanks to a God who has protected us, led us, guided us and even at times picked up our drooping heads.

John Stott points out seven great stages in this statement written by the Apostle Paul:

"God is able to do because he is not idle or inactive or dead. God can do what we ask because he hears us when we pray. He can do what we think because he knows what we think before we think it. He can do all we ask because he knows it all and can do it all. He can do more than we ask or think because his plans are bigger than our plans. He can do much more than we ask or think because there is no holding back with God. He can do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can imagine because his the God of the superlative."

He can stop the sun, because he created it. He can raise the dead, because he invented life. He can lift a church's plans because he created the church and knows its future and its present and its past all at the same time.

My to-do list is a small one today, but his to-do list is a large one. My to-do list is doable because I fear failure so I don't make it a huge one. His to-do list  is doable because he never fails and never seeks to avoid risk and never turns down a challenge.

Me? I'm working on the to-do list. Him? He's improving my to-do list.