AT this stage of my life, I’m in a very reflective mood. It always amazes me how seemly insignificant events of the past are locked within the recesses of my mind that resurface now as significant anchors or memory milestones. I mentioned this last time, and at the moment I’m reminded of another “early on,” never to be forgotten instruction pertaining to the blessings of Christ. I can still recall hearing the words as I was taking notes during a Sunday morning worship service, a message giving voice to the first chapter of Ephesians as I sat under the warm sun light streaming in through a nearby window. The imprint of those words struck deep in that moment of hearing, “if you are praying for God’s blessings, we’ve got it wrong. He can’t give us more than what we already have. As one “in Christ” you already possess ‘every spiritual blessing;’ it is just a matter of appropriating, reckoning and realizing them in faith.” (Eph. 1:3)
IT has taken me many years to grasp the meaning of those words. Indeed, Ephesians 1:3 always causes me to pause and ponder its significance and importance whenever it is encountered. Today’s reading in no different.
I ONCE learned from another to pray daily, Lord bless me, that I might be a blessing to others. In light of Eph. 1:3 that might be better said, Lord, let the blessings of Christ be truly in and from me a blessing to others; or maybe better be unhindered from me to others. Regardless, we already possess all in Christ, and the Apostles of our faith never waned in reminding us that in Christ, He has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. (2Pet. 3-4)
WITH that in mind, let look at today’s excerpt from None But the Hungry, 1-11 – “Designer and Designed.”
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa 30:15; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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1-11. Designer And Designed
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3)
Since the sovereign God has every atom in the universe precisely timed and controlled for the carrying out of His perfect will, it should not be difficult for us to understand why He is so meticulous in His development of us as His instruments. “Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11).
“You are one of God’s rough diamonds, and He is going to have to cut you so that you may really shine for Him. It takes a diamond to cut a diamond. You are to be ground and cut, and hurt by other diamonds, by other Christians, by spiritual Christians. But the more cutting and the more perfecting, the more you are going to shine for your Lord.” -G.M.
“God in His wisdom has ordained our trials, and it is our folly that causes us not to welcome them. God sends us such trials as are exactly fitted for us. Our Heavenly Father knows what will best serve us. He serves us by trials and by comforts. Let us remember that our trials are few-our evil ways are many; our worthiness nothing-our comforts great. When God tries us let us consider how we have been trying Him. By grace we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under His mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time.”
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you” (1 Pet. 4:12)
