Finding Comfort in Ability

Able. A word I've been wrestling with lately. I wrote it big and stuck it on my wall, because I wanted to focus on that characteristic of God this year. But, at times, I wonder, why is the fact that He is able comforting? Why does it mean anything? Because just because He is able doesn't mean He will. It just means He can. I looked up scriptures with the word able, I thought about how I've used it this year, what it meant to me. So, here are my thoughts, what I'm learning.

Able: having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something. (Oxford Languages)

It is also synonymous with many words, some of my favorites being: capable, strong, prepared, and adequate. So saying He is able means that He is adequate and capable. He is enough. He is the one for the job. But, though He is able, we must know He may not do whatever we are asking. Whether He does or does not do what we ask does not make Him any less able, powerful, adequate, or good. Just because He did not say yes to that prayer or opened that door or closed it when we asked, doesn't take away His ability. He is still as able as He was while we were asking. He is able. He is able to open and close doors, open and close opportunities, He is able to do both. Now, that does not mean we should not call on Him and ask for what we hope for or want. In doing so, we need to understand that what we are hoping for is not always what God is planning for. He is able and good. Often when He doesn't do something He is able to do and we believed that, we begin to believe that He is not good, or able, or adequate. But that is simply just not true. I can look back in several areas of my life where I believed God was able and hoped He would, but didn't. I look back now and see so much that I was saved from. I see lessons I learned and were necessary to get me to where I am now. He is good and if He doesn't do something we want, it doesn't take away that goodness. In fact, even when the answer is not what we wanted, even that is good. It may not feel like it now or it may not have felt that way then, but God cannot deny Himself. He is good, the definition of it, the Creator of it, He is 100% good, and something that is 100% good cannot produce something that is even 1% evil. A man and a woman cannot produce something that is 1% dog, no, they produce another human, which is 100% human. Similarly, God cannot produce something that is the opposite of Himself.

In James 1:17 it says,

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Every GOOD and PERFECT gift is from Him. He does not produce bad things, He may allow bad things to happen, because they must so His plan may prevail. But just because your circumstance is not good, does not mean God is not. And we know that though it may be hard now, ultimately, He is working all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

So, yes, He is able, but if it's not in His will, He won't. Just because He is able does not mean it will happen or will happen when we want it to. He has the power, He is the most qualified, He is beyond adequate, but even if He doesn't it does not take away His ability.

So why do we take comfort in knowing He is able if there's a chance He won't? Why do you take comfort in knowing an ambulance is on the way if you're in a bad accident? Or the fire department if there's a fire? Because they are able. They are the most adequate people to help you in those situations. Our inability finds comfort in His ability. He is the ultimate Rescuer. He is not an ambulance driver, He's better, He's there before the accident happens, before the fire starts. But if He stopped every accident before it happened or every fire before it started, we would not ever learn that we cannot drive on the opposite of the road, we cannot leave a candle lit right next to fuel. He is able. But if He prohibited every sin, we wouldn't face its consequences and wouldn't understand what He saved us from. If He stopped everything that would cause our heart to ache or eyes to tear up, we would never turn to Him for comfort. Without experiencing the bad, we would never understand or appreciate what is good, Him. Believe He is able, but trust Him in the yes's and no's. Trust He knows what is best for you. Trust He has a plan with the timing laid out to the millisecond. He is the most adequate, He is the most able for every job. Call on Him and if He does not do what you wanted, remember, even that is for good. He knows what we need and just because He is able to do what we want, doesn't mean that's what is best for us. A good parent never gives their child what they want 100% of the time, they have their best interests in mind and know that what their child wants might damage what they need. He is the best Father, He knows how to care for His children.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20‭-‬21