December 9 - Ephesians 1-3: What Do I Want?

"What is needed today is not a new gospel, but live men and women who can restate the Gospel of the Son of God in terms that will reach the heart of our problems." 

"Father, I want to be that man." 

"Then you must decide. Do you want from My Son what He longs to give? Do you want to believe I'm good no matter what happens in your life, to trust My plan no matter how off course it appears, to love well when you feel no love within you?" 

"Or are your desires too weak? Do you want to merely lead a relatively satisfying life in the midst of reliably pleasant circumstances as a reasonably good person? If that's what you want, the gospel of My Son has nothing for you. If you want what only My Son can provide, you will learn to celebrate the good news He came to bring." 66 LL

Good questions. What do I want from Jesus, really?

My spirit stirs when I think about what Jesus longs to give, but honestly, my flesh delights in the prospect of a personally satisfying life where most of my desires are met. For the first three decades of my life, the satisfying life was my one and only goal, and for much of the last decade, it's been a battle between spirit and flesh as to which desire wins out. Frankly, it often depends on the day - and where I am in terms of walking with the Lord - which one sounds better to me.

But when I read these chapters of Ephesians, what Eugene Peterson calls "an exuberant exploration of what Christians believe about God," my heart leaps with desire for my Lord. I am blown away by what Jesus has already done for me. How could I possibly want more??

He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (1:6)

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. (1:7-9)

It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation) found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installation on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. (1:13-14)

It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, in his immense mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive with Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us. Then he picked us up and set us down in the highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. (2:4-6)

Thank You, Lord, for this amazing truth of your gospel and for who You are! I pray that the reality of it will take deep root in my soul and transform my weak desires. May I want Jesus more than anything this world has to offer.

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With the busyness of the holidays, life seems to be speeding up at the same time our daily reading schedule is speeding up. Some days, I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose! But my time in the Word this year has been incredibly rich and life-giving; it's definitely been the best part of the year.

Because of that, Staci and I are planning to continue in the Scriptures next year. We're currently praying about and discussing options (what translation to use, parts of the Bible to cover, etc.), but we wanted to give you a heads up if you're interested. Stay tuned for more details to come...