Expect Great Things From God
By Janet Stobie
Whether you’re a member of a big city church or a small rural church, I’m sure you’ve heard some version of:
“Surely God isn’t calling us to begin a breakfast program in our local school. We’re only a tiny congregation of thirty on our best Sunday.”
“That’s not the way we’ve always done it.”
“We can’t do that. We don’t have the money, or the leadership.”
Yet, we’ve heard stories of God’s people in the Bible and in modern day – amazing stories of ordinary people accomplishing wonderful projects. What is the difference?
I believe John’s gospel has the answer. “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do…” (John 14:12) John is telling us to expect great things of God. Too often our expectations are small. We think God’s goodness, God’s blessings, God’s strength, God’s power are so scarce that God has to ration it.
Every day we witness the extravagance of God. At sunset, the sky, ablaze with colour for fifteen minutes, provides beauty beyond compare. Hidden deep in the woods, a mass of trilliums bring light to the darkness with no one to see them. Scraggly blueberry plants struggle to maintain life on the rocks of Canada’s northern shield country, and yet produce masses of succulent berries. Nature tells us that God believes in abundance.
We need to remember that God is generous and loving. We can step out to do God’s work because Jesus sent us God’s Spirit to strengthen us. We can have courage because God is with us. We can expect great things of God.