March 22, 2015 EYES OF THE HEART
Ephesians 1:18-19b: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what or the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe.”
Ephesians 3:16-19: “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and 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 be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
God is for us! God loves us! God wants us to be free! There are many distractions in life that come our way. We are bombarded daily with the news of war, crime, sickness, death, financial crisis, the breakdown of government, unemployment, addictions, and the list goes on. If not careful, we will lose sight of the basics of what being a Christian is all about. Even though we have been redeemed and have been made new, there are times when we have to remind ourselves of who we are and who God is. Renewing our mind is an on-going process. Reading the scriptures daily is not a burden, but is essential if we are to be renewed day by day. When we are renewed in our mind and spirit, we are able to deal with the distractions, the problems, and the conflicts that come our way from the position of being the overcomer that God has made us to be. We put priority on mental understanding, but knowing who God is and what He is like with our minds only is insufficient. In the verse above, Paul prayed that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”. What we know in our heart is what makes the difference and it is what motivates us. We may begin by knowing the truth in our mind, but we need God to reveal His truth deep within our hearts because we live out of our heart. Knowing the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. The Apostle Paul did not endure the many trials he faced because of his mental knowledge, but because he knew God in his heart. It was Paul’s prayer and his desire that believers would know the unsearchable riches that God has for those who believe. It is God’s will that we know the “surpassing greatness of His power” toward those who believe. Paul summed up his prayer by praying that we “would be filled up to all the fullness of God”-wow! To be filled up to the fullness of God is not just a wish that we might have; but it is God’s desire for us to be just that-filled up with Him. How do we get filled up with God? There are no three easy steps, but for sure it begins with asking God to reveal His truth in our hearts. Also, as we read His word, we can ask the Holy Spirit to give understanding-to open our eyes. As we meditate on what we read in the word, the word takes root in us. We cultivate faith in what God says and we choose His way over our way. Let us be quick to obey whatever God says. Yield ourselves totally to God and ask Him to change us in any way He desires. Chose to be good soil so that whatever God plants in us, it will bring about good fruit.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Psalms 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Ephesians 1:18-19b: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what or the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe.”
Ephesians 3:16-19: “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and 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 be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
God is for us! God loves us! God wants us to be free! There are many distractions in life that come our way. We are bombarded daily with the news of war, crime, sickness, death, financial crisis, the breakdown of government, unemployment, addictions, and the list goes on. If not careful, we will lose sight of the basics of what being a Christian is all about. Even though we have been redeemed and have been made new, there are times when we have to remind ourselves of who we are and who God is. Renewing our mind is an on-going process. Reading the scriptures daily is not a burden, but is essential if we are to be renewed day by day. When we are renewed in our mind and spirit, we are able to deal with the distractions, the problems, and the conflicts that come our way from the position of being the overcomer that God has made us to be. We put priority on mental understanding, but knowing who God is and what He is like with our minds only is insufficient. In the verse above, Paul prayed that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”. What we know in our heart is what makes the difference and it is what motivates us. We may begin by knowing the truth in our mind, but we need God to reveal His truth deep within our hearts because we live out of our heart. Knowing the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. The Apostle Paul did not endure the many trials he faced because of his mental knowledge, but because he knew God in his heart. It was Paul’s prayer and his desire that believers would know the unsearchable riches that God has for those who believe. It is God’s will that we know the “surpassing greatness of His power” toward those who believe. Paul summed up his prayer by praying that we “would be filled up to all the fullness of God”-wow! To be filled up to the fullness of God is not just a wish that we might have; but it is God’s desire for us to be just that-filled up with Him. How do we get filled up with God? There are no three easy steps, but for sure it begins with asking God to reveal His truth in our hearts. Also, as we read His word, we can ask the Holy Spirit to give understanding-to open our eyes. As we meditate on what we read in the word, the word takes root in us. We cultivate faith in what God says and we choose His way over our way. Let us be quick to obey whatever God says. Yield ourselves totally to God and ask Him to change us in any way He desires. Chose to be good soil so that whatever God plants in us, it will bring about good fruit.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Psalms 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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