Good morning, Five Minute Families! Today we begin a three-part series looking at what God is able to do FOR us, what God is able to do IN us, and what God is able to do THROUGH us.

Do you know what God is able to do FOR you? God calls brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers to share with one another the encouragement and truth He reveals to each one of us. We are not walking through this earthly life alone. As we share numerous verses over the next few minutes, please choose one to explore more deeply with your family.

God gives us His strength. In Colossians 1:29 Paul reminds us that he labored to present everyone mature in Christ only by striving with God’s strength that works powerfully in us. Without Christ and the Holy Spirit, everything a believer does is without purpose. We must remember that all the actions we take for God are only to bring Him glory AND those actions are only fruitful because HE is doing mighty work. We are merely His vessels for the moment. Family life is a great example of leaning on His power in order to shine the light of truth in each other’s lives.

We see this again and again in Scripture, including Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”

So, with those verses in mind, what really is God able to do FOR us?

Of utmost importance is that He and He alone saves us. Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.” We cannot be good enough, we cannot repent enough, we cannot follow the law closely enough to be worthy of salvation, but God saved us. He did this FOR us because He loves us.

We must remember that God will always deliver us just as he delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In Daniel 3:17 we read, “If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king.” Now, we must also remember that not all of God’s deliverance is supernatural in the fiery furnace way, nor does he always keep us from experiencing the pain from the sins of others. However, when we trust Him for deliverance, we must also trust his choice of method of deliverance as well.

God is able to protect us. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 states it this way, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

The 24^th verse of the book of Jude speaks not only about God’s ability to protect us but also that He will present us faultless – “Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy…”

God is able to do so much more than we can even fathom. We forget that He will raise us at the appointed time just as John 11:25 demonstrates: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Abraham knew that God was capable of such which is why Hebrews 11:19 points that out and reveals that Abraham knew he would receive Isaac back – either literally or figuratively.

There are so many more than just five things that God is able to do FOR us. One of those is that He satisfies us. 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.” God wants us to live abundant lives now, here on earth and he wants us to have a foretaste of the amazing glory we will walk in for eternity with Him.

We ask again… Do you know what God is able to do FOR you? Do you know what he is able to do FOR your family? Do you believe that He will? Do you share with your family members verses of truth He reveals to you, helping them to see how much we can fully trust and rely on our sweet Lord and Savior? Five Minute families, we challenge you take a moment to look up even just one of the verses we shared. Ask God to speak to you through his holy spirit; ask him to give you the words to share His amazing grace, mercy, and forgiveness with your loved ones.

Live abundantly in God’s word today. Be blessed!