This afternoon as I began my Thanksgiving break, I got the chance to just sit, which I haven't been able to really do since I graduated from Florida Southern. With that being said, I decided to continue my series in Ephesians and read the next part of the first chapter. You may have seen my article a few weeks back about the very beginning of the book, and how I wrote about how we are the chosen ones, and that God will prevail in every situation. Well today I want to discuss Spiritual Sight, which is the most important gift that God has given us, because without it we never could see what God has done in our lives and is doing in this world.
There are four things that Paul prays we can see.
1. Hope
In verse 18 Paul writes, "Having eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you"
In today's world when we hope for something, it is usually something that we want to happen, like your favorite NFL team winning the Superbowl. It isn't usually something that we can control directly. But when your eyes are opened to the hope that god has called you to, now this is something that we know. We know that we will be face to face with our Lord and savior some day, and that is the first step to seeing His goodness.
2. Our Worth
The second part of verse 18 says this: "...what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints"
You are probably thinking well what could God possibly not have, right? What do you give to the God who spoke all things into existence? Well there is one thing that he is looking forward to as his glorious inheritance, and that is you and me. We are so precious to God, that Paul loses his words trying to explain this concept to us. God's love is eternal, it reaches deep into the pits of sin just to grab us out and give us hope. We are worth everything to our God, he looks forward to us coming home to him.
3. Power
God works in us and through us. His power is most commonly described by creation. I mean, he spoke everything into existence, but this power that Paul refers to in Ephesians is the power of the resurrection. God brought life from death. He turns bad things into good.
One of my favorite worship songs has always been "Beautiful Things," by Gungor. In that song, there is a line in there that says, "Out of chaos life is being found." That to me is beautiful. God is bringing healing into our lives by his power and his love. The world is chaotic and our lives are a mess, but his power and his love for us is so deep and wide that in that chaos we are finding life in Him and through Him.
4. Finality
The final thing Paul wants us to see is the finality of God. He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. The Battle is already won, and now our job is to keep the church together as a community and a force for good in this world. We must disciple to one another, and in doing so reach the thousands of people who are unreached on this earth.
Jesus died for us, and now our job is to spread the good news that the battle of this world is won. That there is hope, we are worth everything to God, that he is all powerful, and that there is finality in our decision to disciple to others the good news.
Be thankful for what you have, and be in prayer for those who are still searching for the light in the chaos.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
