They Gave Me a Blank Check
My children were heading out of town. I needed to oversee some contractors that were painting their home while they were gone. They left a few blank, signed checks for me to give them when they finished. Aw! Blank, signed checks! Good thing I’m honest and dependable because it could sure have been tempting to use one of those checks to get me to Tahiti and beyond!
If there were ever a “blank check” verse in the Bible, this is it:
Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” I have so many of those “exceeding abundantlies” in my life. The one I am most grateful for — that I even spoke of to my children in my early morning text message to them is the joy of the Lord that is in my heart. Seriously, I could complain about so many things. I just won’t. A joy that is exceedingly abundantly has superseded any doubt, fear, loneliness, or any other negativity, is down in my heart.
A tangible “exceedingly abundantly” I recall was when we were in a season of financial crisis. We were still strong believers in the “blank check” principal of “God will do exceedingly abundantly according to the power that works in us.” We did believe, and put our absolute trust in our faithful God. My husband, a man of faith, found a 6,000 sq ft spec home in a nearby subdivision, convinced the builder we should move into it and help him market that home and other homes and lots he had for sale. The builder said, “I don’t know why I’m doing this — but, okay — let’s do it!” So we moved into that home. Ron sold three homes and 13 lots within six-short months and not only did he continue to have success there, we purchased that 6,000 sqft home and made it our place of business and ministry for years. God did the exceedingly abundantly for us because God’s power was working strong in us. We did not limit our “exceedingly abundant” God.
Maybe there are things that you need, but are afraid to ask and believe God for them. Just know that He is able to do far more than you could even dream of. I’m a pretty big dreamer. God says, “Donna, think of the greatest thing you could ever dream of, the greatest thing you think I could do in your life. Guess what? I can top that.”
If there were tears in Heaven, it would probably be because we would get there and realize all the things that we could have done if we had just believed God a little bit more. I think I’d shed a few tears — to see everything I could have accomplished if I had just believed God more. But there are no tears in Heaven and God gives us everything we need right now to accomplish what He has planned for us. I challenge you to dream big about your relationships, your marriage, your family, your career, and your ministry to others. Your faith can turn those dreams into reality, because God is able to do far more than we would dare to ask or even dream..
Faith turns God-given dreams into reality. Nothing happens until somebody starts dreaming! The Bible is full of people who had God-given dreams. Abraham dreamed of being the father of a great nation. Moses dreamed of setting God’s people free. Joseph dreamed of saving a nation and his own family. If we’d look around us, we’d find many dreamers who refused to quit. They stirred up God’s power in them and saw the exceedingly abundantly in their lives. Why not you?