Today we continued our journey through the New Testament as we read two of my favorite books: Ephesians and Philemon. They are dear to me for very different reasons. Ephesians is dear to me, because within its context is one of the greatest passages dealing with how salvation is received. Philemon is so, because in its 25 verses we see the great motivator, love, that transforms us from what we were without Jesus, to profound lovers for all things godly.
Here are my thoughts on what I read today.
Paul prays for the Ephesian believers in a very interesting way. First, he asks God to open the eyes of their hearts, that they may know who they really were in power, hope and God’s fullness. Second, he prays that they might understand the incredible thing that all believers have been given. He calls it the ability to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep” is the love of Christ. This second element, based on the reality of the first element, leads to a fundamental and extraordinary understanding of God in their lives. It revolves around the concept of being filled.
Have you ever been full? I love coming home after work and opening the door to the house and smelling that it is “soft taco night.” I can smell the cumin and cilantro mixed with the browned meat (the only bummer is that my wife wants me to eat healthy, so the meat is turkey, oh well, I’m not complaining, honey), the refried beans and salsa. Yum! Oh the comfort food of my youth! I think I can even smell the soft flour tortillas.
Beans and lettuce and cheese and tortillas and salsa, all put together with the taco meat…third heaven stuff for sure!
Then we sit down and I eat with abandon. Every bite is a trail down through my memory. Every scoop of refried beans a jog toward my youth. I am in heaven and I eat until I am full and blissfully so.
I don’t want to seem crude at any level, but when Paul prays for them to be full to the “measure of all the fullness of God,” he means full like “soft taco night.” No room at the inn. No space in the parking lot. Not one more inch of opening for any more storage. That is to know the great power of God’s love and grab a hold of the width, length, height and depth (what is inside) of what God has for us.
That is why we can trust Him totally. Amen?
Until tomorrow! I hope it is taco night…
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