He Makes Us Able, By Sarah Tummey.

“It is God who makes us able to do all that we do” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

When I read that verse, it makes me feel optimistic about life – that it’s full of possibilities, if the God who created everything is the One enabling us. In the book of Job, conversations take place in heaven. They’re conversations that Job himself isn’t privy to, but they concern him. First, the devil makes the accusation that Job’s only interested in serving God because his life’s going well (Job 1:9-10). Later, when Job’s experienced tremendous loss, Satan says he hasn’t cursed God because nothing’s happened to him personally (Job 2:4-5). God disproves his point by allowing Satan to hurt Job, but He had to allow it. Satan can’t hurt anyone without God’s permission, and that includes us. Perhaps you’re frustrated because you feel God wants you to do something, but you seem to have hit a brick wall. Job’s story can be an encouragement. It’s God who makes us able to do all that we do, so if it’s His plan, the obstacles won’t last forever.

It’s really important to give God the credit for His work in our lives. Even Jesus did that. “I assure you that the Son can do nothing alone. He does only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19). If we take the credit, the focus is on us; but if we give God the credit, we can point people to Him.

I’ve recently come back from a trip to South Africa, and I know I couldn’t have done it without God’s help. This might sound strange to some. It was only a holiday after all, but it was a big thing for me. I’d never been outside Europe before; I was really keen to go and meet the friend I’d been in contact with for years and never met face-to-face, but I was so fearful. I had the feeling when I booked it that everything would be all right and I tried to remember that, but I also did a fair bit of brooding on the what-ifs. Maybe one of the injections I had would make me ill. Maybe I’d get Deep Vein Thrombosis from the flight and have to spend most of my holiday in hospital. It really helped knowing that no disaster would come without God giving His permission; and if I had to go to hospital, well, my friend could come and visit me! But my biggest fear of all? That I’d give in to fear.Maybe I’d cancel the holiday; let my friend down; lose her friendship; never convince myself to travel anywhere ever again.

I made it onto the plane, but that fear didn’t go away. One day, I was really lacking in confidence. The holiday had been fairly fast-paced. What if I couldn’t keep up with them and had to go home, and couldn’t meet my friend after all? So I took some time out and turned to a Christian book called “Fierce Faith”, on overcoming fear and worry. These four points stood out to me: Show up; be real; love others well; don’t quit, so the Lord kept me going. I was fine from then on, I did meet my friend, and I give Him all the credit.

It’s God who makes us able to do all that we do. How does that work in your life? Have you ever asked for His help when you’ve felt worried or down? “His mercies never stop” (Lamentations 3:22).