Imagination

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21

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

“Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

Our thoughts and our imaginations are vastly important to our faith and living victorious lives. They can either lead us into futility or into victory.

The twelve spies who spied out the Promised Land were all leaders in Israel. They saw the Lord defeat the superpower nation of Egypt. They saw manna from heaven and water from a rock. They saw the cloud by day and the fire by night. They even saw some military victories, but they had not seen God defeat giants. When they saw themselves as grasshoppers, they minimized what God could do through them. They could not imagine God using them in this new capacity to defeat the giants they had seen.
When we don’t think God can use us in new ways and we see ourselves as small and insignificant in the face of our circumstances, we limit ourselves and what God will do through us. Our thoughts and our imaginations, the things we think could happen, can keep us stuck in defeat.

We can become more aware of our faithless thoughts and take captive the ones that don’t lead to the kingdom. We can keep our thoughts on things above and not things below because we have a God that can go beyond what we can ask or imagine. We can see ourselves as God sees us, vessels that He can and will move through as we yield to the power of His Spirit within us.

REFLECTION:
Ask yourself: During difficult times do my “what if’s” take me into fear or faith? Does what I imagine happening in my life lead to the hope and future that God promises or into defeat?

If you are using your God given imagination to lead you into a path of fear, take those thoughts captive, apply God’s Word and get them back on the path that goes beyond what you can ask or imagine.

DECLARATION:
Let the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart and the imaginations of my mind be pleasing to You and lead me into victory through Christ Jesus!

Devotional contributor: Anna Marie Dandy