Tag: god

1. Recognizing God’s blessings.

Ephesians 1:1-3 (especially verse 3) “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (NLT) 

The Greek word for “bless/blessed/blessing” is used three times in verse 3: Blessed be God who blessed us with every spiritual blessing. What does “bless” mean? According to the dictionary, to bless is to honor as holy. To be blessed is to receive happiness or some other positive experience or situation. A blessing is something that gives happiness, wellbeing or prosperity. 

So, what does that tell me? That God is worthy of being blessed or honored because of who He is and what He has done for me and others. That God has given me every spiritual blessing I need. If I really believe this verse, how can I react in any way other than to thank and praise Him for giving me every spiritual happiness, wellbeing, and prosperity. I want to look deeper into what “every spiritual blessing” means tomorrow. For today, I want to honor God by recognizing His greatness and care over me and thanking Him for His gifts of joy.

   Lord, I have been feeling sad and somewhat sorry for myself recently because of the pain and grieving and health problems in our family. My attention has been on my circumstances. This verse rebukes and encourages me at the same time. What do I have to complain about? Even the very serious and justifiable grieving is overshadowed by what you have done for our family in the big picture. Once again, please help me focus on You and Your gifts to us. Even on the comfort You give us in our painful situations, including the knowledge that You feel our pain and hurt with us, as Jesus demonstrated when He felt the pain of those around Him. Indeed You have given us every spiritual blessing that we need. Amen

Ephesians 1:3 “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (NLT)

When I think of what this means I am reminded of at least the following:

A. God is the source of these blessings. When I experience the blessing, whether it’s a physical gift, or an awareness of beauty in nature, or delight over a grandchild, or a new awareness of God’s mercy, or the honor of seeing spiritual fruit from my service to others, I want to follow that sunbeam back up to its origin, God. 

B. The content of these blessings is described in the rest of this passage, verses 4 to 14. In general, from this passage my spiritual blessings are all the good things God gives me as His child, such as being without fault in God’s eyes, being loved, being chosen and adopted; gaining freedom, wisdom, understanding, and an inheritance; receiving confident hope, knowledge of God’s plan and a significant purpose for my life; spiritual gifts and the Holy Spirit to live with and in me. [Each of these blessings to be looked at more closely in future devotionals]

C. These blessings are not just received in the future but are also those I can experience now. Blessings “in the heavenly realms” can apply to the spiritual world I live in now and not just after death. 

D. I am blessed and receive all these blessings because of my relationship with Christ, because I am united in Christ, because I am a believer in Him. The Good News Translation translates the last words of this verse as “in our union with Christ he has blessed us.” I wonder if the emphasis in this verse is that the greatest spiritual blessing I receive is my relationship with Jesus. All of His blessings are wonderful, but nothing compares with being loved by the One who saved me, made me a friend, lives in me, intercedes for me, guides me by His Spirit. Clearly, I receive every spiritual blessing either in Christ or from Him. 

How can I make this real in my life? Internalizing this information requires a change in my mindset. I want to be so aware of God’s presence and blessings in my life that I spontaneously react with gratitude and worship. But I know I will often miss His blessings during the day just because I am busy concentrating on other things. From experience, I know that if, at the end of each day, I would think back over the blessings of the day, I’ll be more likely to recognize what God is doing and be able to pray my thanks to Him before I go to sleep. I am motivated to restart the “gratitude” book I have by my bedside, in which I used to write at least one blessing I was thankful for each day. My hope is that I will become more and more aware of His blessings as they occur.

Father, I am almost in tears rehearsing all you are to me and are giving me. No wonder Paul started this passage with “all praise!” to You. My feeble praise does not even scratch the surface of who You are and how You have blessed all who come to You. Thank You, thank You, thank You! Amen.

3. God’s plan for us 

Ephesians 1:4 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (NLT)

This is the first of many spiritual blessings that I have been given (see verse 3). I was chosen by God. And God’s choice was because of His love and Jesus’ sacrifice for me.

I know that God does not view time the way I do. I don’t understand how this works, but the Bible clearly states that God knew me and chose me before the creation of the world. God had a plan for me. He loved me. God’s heart (His attitude, feelings, desires) was loving toward me. Apparently, this was His original intent in creating humans. He made us to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever, as I was taught in Sunday School as a child. And this verse makes it clear that God chose me in Christ. My relationship with Christ (being a believer and follower of Christ) is specifically involved in God’s choice of me. I can’t begin to understand all the implications of this statement (Did He choose me because He knew I would accept Christ as my Savior or did I accept Christ because God had already chosen me??). But what is clear to me at this point is that God knew me before I was born; He knew all the faults, weaknesses, sins I would have, all the times I would follow my own way instead of His. Yet He chose me to be spiritually reborn and changed into a new creature when I believed in His Son. And therefore, God could see me as being holy and without fault.

My take-aways from this passage: 1) God’s love for me is unconditional; my love for myself is not; I love myself less when I do or think things that I know are not pleasing to God. I suppose it’s good that I am aware of my faults (while also aware that I have blind spots – additional faults that I do not see). Based on this passage, I find that I am less forgiving of myself than God is. I want to grow in understanding how I can be aware of my faults and yet not let that awareness adversely affect how I relate to God and others and feel about myself. God sees me through grace as being without fault because He sees Christ in me. 2) I will pray specifically that God will help me see myself as He sees me, and express my gratitude for His love.

Father, I am so glad that you loved me even before I was born and that You still love me. I am amazed at the grace You have given me, that You see me as without faults because of Christ. Your love is truly unconditional! Please help me to fully believe that and live like I believe it. Amen

4.  Adopted by God 

Ephesians 1:5a “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” (NLT)

My experience with adoption is very limited. But when I think of being adopted by God, I imagine a fairy tale setting: a little girl, orphaned, poor, lonely, dressed in rags, is rescued and brought to the king’s castle, loved and adopted by the king, dressed in beautiful clothing, given all the riches of the kingdom, treated as royalty by others. She will be part of the king’s family forever. She will have an ever-increasing awareness of the unearned gifts her father gives her. He will provide lifelong attention, protection, and purpose as he gives her open access to a relationship with himself. How different her life becomes! Her entire identity is changed. 

When I apply this to myself, I realize that all of this is hypothetically true of me. I have been adopted into God’s family. I have experienced God’s love and the fulfillment of serving others in building His kingdom. Why is it then that too often I don’t feel or act like the daughter of the king? Am I one of those adopted children who do not accept the family’s love, who continue to beg and look for scraps as she did as a street urchin? I have the high honor of direct continual access to the king and a commission to do significant and rewarding work for the kingdom of my Father. I want to be an adopted child who fully participates in the love and service of the King and His family.

How can I make this real in my life? By letting the Holy Spirit change my thought patterns and convince me of the truth of God’s love (Romans 12:2). As an example of how the Spirit is changing my thinking, I am strongly aware of my love for my children and grandchildren, and when I stop to realize that God loves me, my children, my grandchildren with a love that is infinitely stronger and deeper than my love is, I am overwhelmed by that thought. I remind myself that God loves me as a perfect parent would love. He is a perfect Father. This study of Ephesians will help me dive deeper into how God sees me lovingly and how I can express my gratitude to Him. 

Father, today please help me to accept my identity as Your adopted child. Help me see practical ways I can love You and be about Your business. Help me to see my brothers and sisters as they truly are: my family. Thank You. Amen

6. How we became free 

Ephesians 1:7 “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his son and forgave our sins.” (NLT)

How was I not free before God freed me? First, I was not free to have a close relationship with God; I could not come near Him because He is holy, and I am a sinner. And second, I was not able to please God, to live the way He wanted for me, because I was a slave to my own desires and my own self-centeredness, following the wishes of God’s enemy, the evil one. I was not even free to live the way I wanted. I often chose to do what I knew was not the best thing for myself or others, just because I had an urge to do it. 

So what am I now free to do? Because God purchased my freedom with Christ’s sacrifice and forgave my sins, I am free to come close to God, to have a personal relationship with Him. Able to claim all the promises of God to His children. Free to trust and obey. Free to do what pleases God when I allow the Holy Spirit to direct me. I am free from being a slave to myself and the evil one, and instead free to live as an adopted child the King. God’s grace and forgiveness allow me to approach Him and to obey Him, living a life that honors Him and fulfills me. I am free from having to be right all the time and needing to put myself first; I still often do those things, but I have the potential through God’s power to put other people first. This transition is a process that has begun but won’t be completed while I am on earth. Now, with the Holy Spirit in me, I can gradually become more like Christ in my attitudes, thoughts, and actions. 

The big question: HOW?  My response: when I am convicted of a need for change (something I want to stop thinking/feeling/doing or something I feel the Holy Spirit urging me to do, no matter how small a thing it is or how unsure I am about it), I choose to respond with a “yes” to the Holy Spirit to do His work, and then take the next clear step, which will be different for each situation. It’s primarily a mindset to let God change me, without resisting, rationalizing, or holding back. When I have responded to the Spirit’s leading (those quiet “urgings” to do something out of my comfort zone, like talking with someone I don’t know who appears to need help), God has opened some exciting doors for me to walk through. I want to be available and sensitive to opportunities from the Spirit.

Father, thank you for redeeming me and making me part of Your family. You are a good Father. Please help me trust You and not resist Your leading. Help me to obey what I know You want me to do! Please teach me to dance in the freedom that You have given me. Help me to be so confident in You that I can freely give to others and clearly demonstrate love that is from You. Amen. 

7.  God’s inheritance or ours? 

Ephesians 1:9-11 “God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: at the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God [which may be translated ‘we have become God’s inheritance’], for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan …. the good news [is] that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. … I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance [which could be translated ‘… those he called, and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people.’]“(NLT) 

I find it very interesting that this passage speaks of the inheritance that we have as part of God’s adopted family. The fact of an inheritance is mentioned three times in this passage. Some scholars believe that in at least two of those references, the inheritance mentioned might not be what we are going to receive, but rather that God considers believers to be an inheritance he is giving himself. My favorite commentator on Ephesians, Peter T. O’Brien*, makes a compelling argument from these passages that both thoughts are included. We who belong to Jesus, His dear Son, are part of an inheritance that God has given Himself, to His glory. And God has given us an inheritance of eternal life, which has started already through the Holy Spirit being within us and working in and through us. 

This opens some very interesting thoughts. The Bible clearly teaches that believers in Christ are going to inherit eternal life in heaven (as well as many other spiritual blessings). Is it also possible that God sees me as part of His inheritance that He is giving Himself? God loves us so much that He considers our relationship with Him to be a gift? This is a topic I want to explore, looking at other biblical passages, but for now I need to move on in Ephesians. 

Father, thank You for the inheritance You have prepared for those who believe in Christ. And thank You for loving me so much that You want me to spend eternity with You. I want to be a shiny, sparkling, joyful part of the inheritance You give to Yourself. Amen. 

*O’Brien, Peter T (1999). The Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.

8. God’s power for us. 

Ephesians 1:19-20. “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” (NLT)

I know of course that God is all powerful; I’ve been taught that all my life. But do I really believe that all this power is available to me? This passage emphasizes that God’s immense power is “for us who believe him,” not just power that He Himself uses. Peter T. O’Brien* writes that God is using this power to “work on behalf of believers.”  So apparently God has this power intentionally available for me if I would trust him for it. 

And how much power is available? I can’t think of any greater level of power than that which raised Christ from the dead. That is certainly enough power to take care of what I am worried about, what I have to do today, the people I love who don’t know Christ personally, the unknown future…. 

How would my life be different today if I would count on God’s power for each thing that came up?

Father I need Your power in my life, in my heart, mind, soul, body. Today I ask for Your power to work in and through me, to bring glory to You and to help other people. In particular, please help me to complete [today’s specific responsibilities] in a way that meets the needs of others and brings honor to Yourself. Thank You. Amen.

*O’Brien, Peter T (1999). The Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, p. 136.

10.  Dead, then alive and fulfilled. 

Ephesians 2:1-10 “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil — the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loves us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus….God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT)

Verses that discuss the before-and-after of coming to Christ are always somewhat of a problem for me. I never remember a time when I did not believe that Jesus died as a sacrifice for my sins. I have not always followed Him faithfully but am not aware of a specific point in time when I went from death to life. (Although when I was 11 or 12, I committed my life to Christ “in case” I had not specifically done that previously.) What I have experienced is the ongoing battle between what is left of my natural self-centered thoughts and actions and the part of me that wholeheartedly wants to follow Jesus. So, I can still identify with the conflict between the two; I still have some evidence of the “dead” person within me. 

I know that before I was made alive by Christ, whenever that was, I was dead spiritually. There was nothing that I could have done to make my situation better and to become alive by myself. I was dead to God; I was dead to life and freedom; I was dead to being able to do good things for the right reason. I don’t like reading in this passage that I was obeying the devil, but apparently all of us did this, according to Paul. Anything that is good in me now is because God has done it, not by my own efforts. 

How do I know I have been made alive? Because I see evidence in my life that His Holy Spirit is living in me and gradually changing me to be more like Him. Little by little He is making me more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, etc. 

For me the main truths of Ephesians 2:1-10 are first, that none of my spiritual standing is because of my efforts. It’s all by grace, much more than I deserve. And second, God prepared good works for me to perform long before I was born. This second truth includes two aspects of God’s plan for me: He designed specific things for me to do, and He created me to be able to do those specific things. He gave me certain gifts, desires, passions, education, and experiences that would enable me, with His power, to accomplish the things He has for me to do. His process of redesigning me into His “masterpiece,” as the New Living Translation describes it, is making me better able to do the things that He planned for me to do. The preparatory gifts are from Him, and the power to accomplish His purposes is from Him. My role is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this venture by using my gifts and trusting God to work through me.  

Lord, continue to make me like You! Please give me Your heart. Make mine like Yours, loving others, completely trusting You, Father. Today use me to help draw someone closer to You. Amen.

11. The only way to be right with God. 

Ephesians 2:1-10 again, plus 2:11-22: “It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved…. God saved you by his grace when you believed. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it…. Christ himself has brought peace to us… He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.” (NLT excerpts)

Paul describes in this chapter how God is unifying the Jewish and Gentile followers of Christ. He stressed that no matter what their religious background was, they became right with God by believing in Christ’s sacrificial death for them. Sometimes I identify more with the Jews than the Gentiles (even though I am not Jewish). I have lived as if I believed that obeying the laws of God was the way to please God and be right with Him. I’m still in the process of learning how to love God freely and not be hung up by the rules. I know that obedience to rules does not make me right with God. And I also know that rules can be helpful: the moral laws that God gave are consistent with His character and given to us to make our lives better. I know God wants us to trust Him and obey Him. But there have been times in the past when I felt God would be angry with me if I did something that was outside of the rules, if I disobeyed Him. I felt that since He is perfect and just, He could not and would not put up with my many imperfections.

This was an issue of cognitively knowing that God had forgiven my past, present, and future sins through Christ, but feeling that He was condemning me when I failed Him. It took many years for the truth of His forgiveness and grace to sink into my emotional side, my feelings. The big change happened as a result of reading a couple of books that spoke to my soul* and some dramatic answers to prayer that convinced me that God loves me unconditionally. This total cognitive and emotional belief in His unconditional love for me personally is the basis for any sense of spiritual freedom I have, and any confidence that I can “boldly” come into His presence.

Now how should I relate to the laws and regulations of the Old Testament? They were inadequate to make me right with God, partially because I am unable to obey them completely in my own efforts. But the moral law still describes God’s best practices — ways to live that are consistent with loving God and others. So (1) I will be grateful for the “new” way of being in relationship with God though Christ; I am no longer required to follow the law to be right with God. (2) I am praying for the ability to love God more and to love other people more effectively, since this sums up the basic truth of the Old Testament laws; and (3) I am aiming to live by the moral law expressed in the 10 commandments and the guidelines God has given us, motivated by wanting to live a more healthy and loving life and to bring joy to the heart of God. 

Father, I am so thankful that You did not give up on me many years ago when I seemed unable to trust You and did not fully accept Your unconditional love. You are such a patient Father! Thank You for never giving up on me. And thank You for your moral law which reveals Your character and values. Please help me to love other people the way You do. Amen. 

*Helpful books on experiencing God’s love: Because He Loves Me: How Christ transforms our daily life, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick; and He Loves Me! Learning to live in the Father’s affection, by Wayne Jacobsen.

13. Paul’s encouraging prayer – overview

Ephesians 3:14-21. “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the father, the creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” (NLT)

These verses are some of the most familiar and cherished words in the New Testament. After surveying all the spiritual blessings we have been given, Paul responds with his heartfelt prayers for all the followers of Christ who will read his letter. His deepest desires are that we will be filled with power and love from God. 

My take-aways—Paul’s prayers are for:

• Inner strength from the Spirit – supernatural power (Lord, I am so aware of my need for You and Your power every hour of every day!)
• Christ in my heart as I trust Him (Please, Giver of faith, help me trust You more each day. I keep finding areas of my life in which I do not fully trust You. If I did, I would not worry about what may come. I would not become frustrated when circumstances interfere with what I want to do. I would be able to relax in the confidence of Your provisions and guidance.)
• Full experience of God’s love (Thank You for continuing to reveal how much You love me.)
• Ultimately, completeness and supernatural power in life. (How I need this encouragement today! May I take one step closer to this fulfillment today. Please show me at least one area that Your power can impact my life today.)

Amen