Ephesians 3:20 – [God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (NIV)

It looked rather decrepit, past its best-before date — that vintage Heintzman piano in the sanctuary. Several keys were unplayable. To make this glaringly obvious, permanent X's were scribbled on each broken key, perhaps by a child who saw the piano as a lost cause. Yet in truth, you can't assess a piano's usefulness by its appearance — especially century-old pianos, and especially Heintzmans!

I was curious about the old clunker's potential. But that morning, I was there to fill the pulpit, not the piano bench. I was there to provide spiritual nourishment. Some may have felt like that aging piano — with broken, wearing parts, inscribed with glaring X's reinforcing the defects.

In truth, decrepit pianos and people alike can be surprisingly useful through the touch of skilled hands. That's a spiritual truth: God can do immeasurably more with us than we imagine.

A piano teacher once said to me, "A skilled pianist can make any piano sound great, even a bad one." She certainly proved her claim. As a concert pianist, she was often invited to humble venues with decrepit pianos. She never complained. She graciously sat on the bench, and away she went. Her fingers would draw out amazingly beautiful sounds, even on old clunkers. She was not among those who insisted on the finest, perfectly tuned instruments. Her mission was to bring gladness to the people and to her God — even in remote parts of the world.

I did eventually play the old clunker and enliven it with joyful sounds to accompany happy singing. As for those dud keys? Well, their absence wasn't noticeable; other sounds compensated. That's how it is when God glides His skilled fingers over the faltering "instrument" of His people.

God can create more possibilities through us than we can ever imagine. To discover this, we cannot leave the "instrument" sitting untouched, lid closed. We cannot designate ourselves as a lost cause or try to be something that we're not. Instead, we can open ourselves freely to God, trusting Him fully.

God alone knows how we quench His potential in us through our unbelief. Perhaps, we've placed our trust in ourselves and our blessings. I am reminded how our technology squelches the potential for musicianship to develop within the body of Christ. Likewise, our material blessings easily quench the growth and flourishing of the spiritual gifts of grace.

One of the piano keys was inscribed with a warning, "This key does not work." But that was not true! It played perfectly fine. Brothers and sisters, we have a spiritual enemy who wants us to believe that we "don't work", who tempts us to give up on God and what He may yet have for us, for you, for me. And so today, I invite you to join me in the prayer:

Prayer: O Master, inspire us to trust You with our broken, decrepit lives, that You may do immeasurably more than we can imagine. Amen.

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About the author:

Diane Eaton <dianeeaton6@gmail.com>
Paisley, Ontario, Canada
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