Today's Meditation - Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Today's Meditation

Read Ephesians 1:1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: ²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

     This letter to the church in Ephesus is probably my favorite of Paul's letters.  It begins with the blessings that come to us in our relationship with Christ as adopted children of God.  Paul encourages us to seek to be holy and blameless in love.  In Christ we have redemption, forgiveness, and (supposedly) an understanding of the mysteries of God's will.  I'm still working on all of them, but maybe this last one the most.

     Paul ends this part of our reading this morning with the knowledge that in the fullness of time God will gather up all things to God's own self through Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.  For me, this is real assurance of God's love for you and me.  That,

in the end

we will be 

sought

found

gathered

through Christ

unto God.

     Yes, I structured that last sentence this way on purpose.  Read it again; slowly, carefully, and completely.  Allow this to be your assurance of eternal hope.

Blessings on this Wednesday!

Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) by Hillsong