Living God of the fullness of life, fill the cup of this dear reader in all they need; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Ephesians 1: 15 That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the Christians, 16 I couldn't stop thanking God for you - every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. 17 But I do more than thank. I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, 18 your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, 19 oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him - endless energy, boundless strength! 20 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, 21 in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. 22 He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. 23 The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (The Message)
Way out there? Or right here? Such is the question asked the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley. You see, Mr. Wesley was on a ship bound for America when they encountered a terrible storm that destroyed a lot of the boat. Fearing death, Mr. Wesley cried and sought a place in which to die. He found a group of Moravians (Germans) who were singing and seemed excited about their possible death. Wesley could not understand this. The leader of the group asked Wesley if he knew Jesus Christ. Wesley replied he knew Jesus to be the Savior of the world. He was then asked if he did not know Him personally. Way out there? Or right here. It used to be you could ask any baby, "Where's Jesus?" and they would point skyward. And there Christ remains until our personal encounter with Him. In this passage, Paul is thanking God for the faith of the Christians in Ephesus and asking God that these Christians would continue to grow. Growth, Paul knows, comes from knowing Christ.
How do we know Christ better? It starts much like the initial encounter, with a prayer of invitation. We know the famous picture from the passage in Rev. 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." And many a sermon has been preached about opening the door of our heart with a simple prayer, and inviting in the Savior of the world to be our Savior. Right here. And through prayer, through a disciplined pattern of Bible study, through worship, through conversations (listening is involved!) with Christ, we come to know Jesus better and as a result grow in our intelligence. Our closeness with Christ also helps our vision and focus for our lives. We get to know where it is that Christ is leading us and asking us to do. And Paul believes, Christ will also provide "endless energy and boundless strength." I do, too.
PRAYER: Come, Lord Jesus, into Your proper place in my heart and life. Help me move away from knowing You way out there, to knowing You right here. Rule as my Lord and Savior, guide me into a deeper knowledge of You. Heal my weakness and drive, for I seek Your energy and strength to live life to the fullest. I ask this in Your Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
