Devotional Word for Friday, March 27, 2020
Yesterday we read Prov. 20:12 which states, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.” That is a basic truth of biology and we saw some of the implications of that in terms of the world in which we live and in terms of our bodies.
Today, we want to think about Prov. 20:12 in spiritual terms. What I mean is this: it is God who gives us eyes and ears to see and hear spiritual truths. By nature, we are spiritually born blind and deaf. Unless God the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and ears to see and hear our need for salvation, we will remain blind and deaf to the Gospel. That’s why Jesus is called the Light of the World – He is the Light that allows us to perceive our true spiritual condition and to receive from Him the Light of Life.
But what about us? We’re Christians. We have eyes and ears that are spiritually open and functioning. Do we still need our eyes and ears opened? Short answer: You Betcha!
Listen to Paul’s prayer for believers in Ephesus: 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. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. [Eph. 1:17-18] That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? We should expect and desire to grow in our knowledge of God.
Paul goes on and lists three areas where he desires Christians to grow. . . . 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, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [Eph. 1:18-19]
Let’s consider those three things: 1) Hope of His calling. He calls us by name. He knows us individually. He calls us so that He might bless our lives through our relationship with Him. He calls us with His own purposes in mind. If He calls us, He knows us, and He knows the plans He has for us. That should give us great hope! The hope of His calling! May He give us eyes and ears to know such is the case.
2) Riches of Inheritance. When we first hear inheritance, we tend to think of our inheritance in Him. That’s true enough, but that’s not what Paul is praying for. Instead, he wants us to know the riches of Christ’s inheritance in the saints, that is, in you and me! I confess I’m still in wonder at this. And I wonder what all it could mean. I’m not sure. But I do understand that it means that Jesus inherits something from my life. Amazing. Stupifying. But true.
3) Power. This is not just any power. This is the power of God. Paul says it is of surpassing greatness. We can know all that power and miss the most significant point: it is directed toward us who believe! Let that sink in. That doesn’t mean you have to exercise some kind of great power of belief. Nope, just plain, old common Christian belief.
I have another passage I want to reference in respect to all this, but it will have to wait until Monday. For today, let’s ask God to give us eyes to see and ears to hear these three great spiritual realities: the hope of His calling; the rich inheritance Christ is to receive from us; and how great, how surpassing, is His power toward us. Such should comfort and satisfy our souls.
Let us pray: O God, Father of Glory, open the eyes of our hearts. We long for Your continued work in our lives. May Your Spirit and Word shape us and mold us. Thank You that You have chosen to display Your handiwork in our lives. May our lives glorify You. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, our Savior, and the Lord of all. Amen.