I don't even know what to call this...
Posted: March 23rd, 2011, 3:03 pm
I am simply overcome with a sense of the sheer goodness of God. He is completely good, through and through. I don't even get that. I mean, He's so good that the best imaginations I have about what IS good don't even justify keeping in my thoughts. There's no getting my arms around that.
I was reading in Ephesians 1:15-23. Tried to read it this morning early and wound up reading through Psalm 106, praying there and all. And, the worries of things sort of built their momentum throughout the day, and you know you try not to worry and you want to be a person that trusts the Lord but you worry some anyway. There were times today when I was just aware, in a way that made me think of waves, just aware that God really is good. You know the phrase in the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" where it says, "when burdens like sea billows roll"? I've always thought of that as being a contrast to a life of peace, that the burdens invade that peace in those billows. Well, with me I suppose I feel an inversion on that. I feel more like there are a lot of burdens and then there are waves of peace. I joked to myself inside my own head (and, I do that) when one of those "waves" washed over my mind that I actually got to feel sometimes like everything is alright. As sad as that may sound, it was actually a praise thought and an expression of thanks to God.
Then, I get home alone (had an after 5 appointment and came on to the house, wife and daughter are at church), and I get my bible for some time alone with the Lord and started praying. I won't even go there but it was a time of refreshing. So, I actually, you know, opened my bible and started reading where I'd marked in Eph. 1 earlier this morning.
And, when I got to vv. 15-22, I just see this wonderful passage and think, "Oh, Lord. Wow."
I have this thing I've started doing when I read these long statements by Paul. I like to backtrack it from the end and sort of read it back to the beginning. (Oh, and that reminds me of a YouTube link I'll post in a minute....). But, here's the wonder of it (at least it is to me).
The fullness of Him who fills all in all is the head of all things to the church. He is given, and all things are put in subjection under His feet. In the age to come, and in this age!, way over every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named -- in the heavenly places -- Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
So, that's a part of that little exercise and when I got to that word "seated"... well. He's seated. Not standing. Seated. He's at rest, He's right where He belongs, He's not going anywhere. Even the subjection of everything under His feet is subjected to Him while He's "seated". It's all coming to Him. He's not chasing it down.
How is this?? I'm a chaser. Aren't you? Don't you feel like you're the chaser?! You chase whatever it is you're chasing and you're praying and living to be like Jesus. But He's not chasing.
Backtrack a little further through the passage. He is seated by the One who raised Him from the dead. He brought that about by the working of the strength of His might. AND.... And....
And in accordance with THAT strength, He enlightens the eyes of our hearts, we know the hope of His calling, we know the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints (or, put another way, we know in and through each other just how richly He deals with those who are heirs of Christ), and we know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Knowing all that .... and so much more .... is by the living-within-us spirit of revelation and of wisdom. It is knowing HIM. It is God's gift to us, and oh, how we should pray continuously with thanksgiving for it and for each other. He loves the saints. We love each other because His love exists among us. That kind of living will cause people, even men like Paul, to hear about our faith in Jesus Christ.
Oh, yeah, the link...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgFU5Ak88-k
I was reading in Ephesians 1:15-23. Tried to read it this morning early and wound up reading through Psalm 106, praying there and all. And, the worries of things sort of built their momentum throughout the day, and you know you try not to worry and you want to be a person that trusts the Lord but you worry some anyway. There were times today when I was just aware, in a way that made me think of waves, just aware that God really is good. You know the phrase in the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" where it says, "when burdens like sea billows roll"? I've always thought of that as being a contrast to a life of peace, that the burdens invade that peace in those billows. Well, with me I suppose I feel an inversion on that. I feel more like there are a lot of burdens and then there are waves of peace. I joked to myself inside my own head (and, I do that) when one of those "waves" washed over my mind that I actually got to feel sometimes like everything is alright. As sad as that may sound, it was actually a praise thought and an expression of thanks to God.
Then, I get home alone (had an after 5 appointment and came on to the house, wife and daughter are at church), and I get my bible for some time alone with the Lord and started praying. I won't even go there but it was a time of refreshing. So, I actually, you know, opened my bible and started reading where I'd marked in Eph. 1 earlier this morning.
And, when I got to vv. 15-22, I just see this wonderful passage and think, "Oh, Lord. Wow."
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
I have this thing I've started doing when I read these long statements by Paul. I like to backtrack it from the end and sort of read it back to the beginning. (Oh, and that reminds me of a YouTube link I'll post in a minute....). But, here's the wonder of it (at least it is to me).
The fullness of Him who fills all in all is the head of all things to the church. He is given, and all things are put in subjection under His feet. In the age to come, and in this age!, way over every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named -- in the heavenly places -- Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
So, that's a part of that little exercise and when I got to that word "seated"... well. He's seated. Not standing. Seated. He's at rest, He's right where He belongs, He's not going anywhere. Even the subjection of everything under His feet is subjected to Him while He's "seated". It's all coming to Him. He's not chasing it down.
How is this?? I'm a chaser. Aren't you? Don't you feel like you're the chaser?! You chase whatever it is you're chasing and you're praying and living to be like Jesus. But He's not chasing.
Backtrack a little further through the passage. He is seated by the One who raised Him from the dead. He brought that about by the working of the strength of His might. AND.... And....
And in accordance with THAT strength, He enlightens the eyes of our hearts, we know the hope of His calling, we know the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints (or, put another way, we know in and through each other just how richly He deals with those who are heirs of Christ), and we know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Knowing all that .... and so much more .... is by the living-within-us spirit of revelation and of wisdom. It is knowing HIM. It is God's gift to us, and oh, how we should pray continuously with thanksgiving for it and for each other. He loves the saints. We love each other because His love exists among us. That kind of living will cause people, even men like Paul, to hear about our faith in Jesus Christ.
Oh, yeah, the link...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgFU5Ak88-k