To Know Him Better

"I pray for you constantly,

asking God,

the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

to give you spiritual wisdom and insight

so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

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.

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.

Now he is far about any ruler or authority

or power or anything else--

not only in this world but also in the world to come."

Ephesians 1:16b-21 NLT

To be known and loved; that is the cry of every human heart.  We desire to enjoy intimacy with another in such a way that we are fully understood, yet completely accepted and embraced.  Knowing that we were created in the image of God, I can safely assume that this desire must originate with the Creator himself.  

He desires that we know Him, as well.  Not as a distant God who rules benevolently over us, but as an intimate Father who walks beside us, guiding and directing our paths in His ways, loving our silly quirks and enjoying the delight of our heart.  To be known and loved is the cry of every human that comes from the heart of God.

Enlightenment

I see things through the eyes of a sinful, jaded human who has been hurt, has fallen many times, and who suffers from many fears.  Consequently, I mostly see the product of sin all around me; noticing all the pain and suffering, dangerous pitfalls, and threats that loom.

When I ask God to open the eyes of my heart, as the worship song declares, I begin to come into the light.  It is then that I see the tender care of a mother for her autistic child instead of the unfairness of a disability that I used to notice, or the kindness of a stranger ministering to the outcast where I used to see only futility, or the power of God changing the heart of a loved one where all I once saw was stubborn insolence. 

As I learn more about God, I find that He opens the eyes of my heart to see with His eyes.

Riches

Treasures beyond compare.  The resources to buy anything I want.  Enough income to be able to splurge on luxuries.  The ability to go where I want, when I want.   Many people think of something like this when they see the word "riches."

God, however, has something far more valuable in mind when He uses the word "prosperity."  To Him, His people are His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6).  The fact that He loved me enough to send Jesus to die so that I can inherit His kingdom gives me hope and God pleasure (Colossians 1:12,19-20).

Remembering this wealth that God has bestowed upon me helps when I'm down in the trenches sweating it out.  What I have to look forward to far outweighs any suffering I can endure here on earth, and this gives me incentive to keep moving forward toward what I cannot see but know is there (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

As I learn more about God, I grow in the hope I have in the eternal heritage I can claim through Jesus Christ.

Power

I could hear the energy crackling and humming as it surged through the giant power lines raised high above the ground.  Walking under the enormous robot-like structures, I considered all the energy that was being delivered to thousands of people so they could run their appliances, heat their homes and burn their lights.  The amount of power located above my head was awe-inspiring.

This power, however, is nothing compared to the might of God.  Not only can He speak the world into existence (Genesis 1), part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22) and raise the dead to life (Luke 24:5-6), but He can also transform a heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26), mend a broken marriage (Psalm 34:18), and break the bonds of debt.

As I learn more about God, I realize the incomparable mighty strength He pours into my life.

Just as I want to be known and loved, God shares this desire even though He is in need of nothing.  As I walk with Him, getting to know Him better and growing in my love for Him, He opens the eyes of my heart, reminds me of the hope I have in Him, and provides a continuous flow of His incomparable power.  To know Him better is the cry of my heart!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can seek to know God with all of my heart.

When do I look at situations using my eyes instead of God's?

How does His strength make a difference in my life?  

Originally published on March 15, 2013

Imagine

"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

Remember the John Lennon song, Imagine?  Have you ever really paid attention to the lyrics of this song?  It's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the music and lose the meaning, as the audience did at a Christmas on Ice show that my family and I attended last night.  Take a moment to read the lyrics:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

John Lennon imagined a one-world, no boundaries system with no hope for tomorrow, nothing to live for, and no purpose for our lives.  And then he thought we would live in peace?  Sounds like a recipe for chaos to me, and definitely not the kind of place I want to imagine living in.


As followers of Christ, we have a better imagination.  When Paul wrote the benediction found in Ephesians 3, he said that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Like what?


God's Family  It used to be that I had to be born into the right people group, the nation of Israel, in order to belong to Him.  Now, through faith in Jesus, I can be a part of God's family!  And as a member of this family, I stand to inherit eternal life.  How many people have searched their lives for a way to be able to live forever, or at least extend their existence?  I can think of the famed "Fountain of Youth," research in cryonics, (a human being is frozen until some point in the future when good health can be restored through medical breakthroughs), along with all kinds of nutritional supplements and exercise plans.  But none of these promise eternal life, and none gives the assurance of a life of hope that we can have in Jesus!  Paul desired for all believers to be able to, ". . .know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . ." (Ephesians 1:18)  I have the hope of heaven as my inheritance as a member of God's family!


A Member  Everyone wants to belong.  Ask anyone who works with gangs, and they will tell you that one of the most prevalent reasons youth join gangs is that they want to be apart of something.  Even though their gang family does not truly care about them, it fills a need to belong.  As a believer in Jesus, I belong to a huge family that spans the globe.  No matter where I go, I will find those who share my faith, love my God and learn from the same scriptures. As the Apostle Paul taught, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:27)  Through my simple faith in Jesus as my Savior, I am a member of the Body of Christ: now I belong!


Direction  I remember many times in my life when I had to put together some kind of gift on Christmas Eve.  My husband and I would start off thinking we could easily figure it out, but would always resort to reading the directions to finish the job.  In order to truly understand the workings of the object, we had to go to the directions created by the manufacturer of that item. It is the same with us!  As a believer in Jesus, I now have access to the One who created all things and who best knows how I should live my life!   I have direction and guidance from my Creator as a follower of Jesus.


This Christmas, as I think on the miracle of God's Son coming down as a tiny babe, I will remember all that He has done for me.  He has adopted me into His family, thus making me an heir, He made me a member of His world-wide family, and bestowed upon me the gift of a relationship with Him.  I can't imagine anything better!


As I begin this day, I pray that I can keep my mind focused on the promises of God that came through His Son.


How can I live my life in unity with my adopted family?


This Christmas, how can I best honor the sacrifice Jesus made in the way I talk about, interact with, and treat my family?