October 20 –Surpasses Knowledge

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, … that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, …that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:14, 16, 17, 18, 19 (NASB)

From today’s passage we’ll consider specific truths in Paul’s continued prayer* for the believers in Ephesus. Because this is part of the inspired Word of God, what Paul prays for on their behalf he has prayed for on ours as well. His prayer is for the spiritual welfare of others. The source of these promises are according to the riches of His glory – ‘according to’ rather than ‘out of,’ means the riches are never diminished. They are limitless and available to every believer. It is for our spiritual power that Paul prays, “strengthened … His Spirit in the inner man.” Spiritual power marks every Christian who submits to God’s Word and Spirit. The prayer is for our understanding. Only as believers are we able to understand the fullness of God’s love. There is no comprehension apart from genuine, Spirit-empowered love in our life. Paul gives us four descriptive words⸺breadth, length, height, depth⸺which suggest the vastness and completeness of God’s love. Such knowledge of Christ’s love is beyond the capability of our human reason and experience. It can be known only by those who are God’s children and are filled up to all the fullness of God.

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*Read our passage in context Ephesians 3:14-21 (NASB).

December 18 – Joy From Serving Right

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ”  - Acts 17:24-25  (ESV)

It may be common to think it is our duty to serve God by providing His needs. No, for we glorify God by praying that He would provide our needs and then, trusting Him to answer.  That results in living in the joy of God providing and caring for us as we serve others with our lives and love.  We learn from our verse that God is not served by our human hands as if He needs anything.  If we think God is needy of our service, we are actually taking Him down from His rightful place in our heart – we belittle Him in that way. Pagan religions live in fear by that rule.  The mighty grace of God, which brought us into His family, should not be preempted by our thinking God needs us to serve his needs.  “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45  By faith, God is glorified in our dependence on Him and our trusting Him to do what He came to do – providing us with what we need to serve others. A joyful life is the promise.

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