GOD IS ABLE

Reuben Morgan on the reasons why those three words

really can change everything…

No matter how many warnings, no matter how many newsflashes, when cyclones and floods hit my homeland earlier this year, we were all left shocked. Our breath was stolen as we stared at endless images of houses swept aside by storms and roads overwhelmed by rivers.

Why? I don’t mean to treat any of the suffering lightly, but have you ever paused to wonder just why it is we find ourselves glued, open mouthed, to silent screens when natural disasters hit? It’s not as if they’re unusual. But they’re compelling, aren’t they? There’s something about facing such a graphic reminder of how fragile life is that makes those images so hard to ignore.

But this year something different happened for me and the friends I share this God-walk with: something unexpected but profound. Yes, we all experienced shock and horror and the need to keep constantly updated with the latest news as the winds and waters rose, but that was not the whole story. For us here at Hillsong, it was as if everything we saw was subtitled by three short words:

God is able.

We were continually reminded just how true those words are. God is able: able to save, able to heal, able to rescue from the fiercest storms and highest floods. There are so many times when you feel as though you are out of your depth – in my case it happens every time I get up to lead worship or speak – and there’s something revolutionary about being able to say or sing our God is able, In His name we overcome, for the Lord our God is able.

Somewhere between hearing testimonies and feeling humbled at the side of the stage, I began to realize something: you can’t celebrate God’s ability without realizing quite how weak we really are: you can’t say God is able without also remembering that we are not. And here’s the really crazy thing about acknowledging our weakness: it’s one of the most comforting and liberating things around.

Reuben Morgan leads during the live recording of “God Is Able.” (Click image to see video)

Nigel Hendroff is pictured in the “God Is Able” “Work Tape” video, a tool for worship teams to learn the latest songs in a more intimate setting. (Click image to see video)

It’s mind blowing to imagine the potential of a humble offering in the hands of a universe-creating God. What we have – our talents, our finances, our best intentions – are nothing compared to God. Remember the slumbering disciples in the garden of Gethsemane? We might like to think we could do better but most of us are just as unable to rely on our own strength to see us through. But, given to God, used by Him for His glory, we’re a different story altogether. God is able to do things with us – with you and with me – that could take your breath away.

Whatever offering we bring, whatever we put in His hands, God can transform and use for His glory, to build His kingdom, to unleash his transformation on humble lives. And not just today, either, God has always been able to save, to heal, to transform ever since the very first. We see Him creating life out of dust, forming a nation out of slaves, sparking revolution and restoring hope to a broken world through a humble man surrounded by humble friends. God is able – it’s in His body, it’s in His blood.

Whether we are facing the best of times or the worst of times, we need to be reminded of our place within all this. We are children of a Father who never fails, we are servants of a King who never slumbers, we are friends of a Creator God who never leaves our side.

Whether we’re facing disaster or rejoicing at the prospect of God-given potential, God is able. Do you believe it today?