I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to
know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know
what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his
glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of
his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. Ephesians 1:17-19
(NRSV)
Paul prayed for the people of
Ephesus to have the kind of wisdom that would open their hearts’ eyes to the
incredible DNA (our inheritance) of God’s blessing for those who walk in the faith
of Jesus Christ.
I think that is every pastor’s
heart for their church. Paul called it a
“glorious inheritance” – the power to know God, and the unfailing hope of our
calling.
Like “faith” hope is a mystery;
unknown to the uninitiated, but powerfully simple once received. Faith believes in the unseen; hope is also
unseen, and just as powerful.
To say the word “hope” sounds
like hand-wringing wishing; Oh, I hope I get a pony for Christmas…or, I hope
that noise isn’t a flat tire.
But the certainty of our hope in Jesus Christ is anything but
hand-wringing; it is more a glorious and joyful expectation!
There’s an old expression that
gives light to the essence of our hope in Jesus Christ: You can take that to the bank. Of course the meaning is that you can count
on what you’ve just heard being real, true, solid and dependable.
If you get an invitation to the
White House for a formal state dinner, and call to find out if you’ve been the
target of a prankster – but Mr. Obama answers the phone and says, oh
yes…you’re on the list, well, you can take it to the bank. You’re in!
This is our hope in Jesus Christ –
you’re not only in; God is glad you’re there and holds you with unfailing love
and strength.
This, dear friends, is why we are
never alone.
Our DNA of wisdom isn’t like the
intelligence of Albert Einstein; our wisdom is an opened understanding of who
God is, and why he loves us. And with THAT permeating the atmosphere of His
church, how could you be alone?
We are forever in His presence,
this One who loves us enough to endure the cross and even our rejection, in
order to place that certainty of hope deep down in our souls.
Now THAT is a glorious
inheritance!
For You Today
At times everyone feels alone; but we know Christ, the
author, finisher and center of our faith is our constant companion.
Keep talking to Him; he’s there and loves to hear your voice.
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