Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Walking through Ephesians - Day 3

versebyverse | October 13, 2007 14:42

Thought:  To me, praise should be our main obligation and ongoing activity.  Why?  Because God has given every blessing possible to us.

Question:  What does it mean to be "blessed...in the heavenly realms"?

Scripture:  Ephesians 1:3 (NIV): "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Praise is owed God.  We owe Him praise because we are not simply provided for or helped but, rather, are drawn up into God to be united intimately with Him.  God doesn't send help in Christ to have us be held away from Him (God, The Father), at arm's length.  No!  God sent Christ to so help us that we can be melded totally into God--the very heart of God.  We have "every spiritual blessing"; not just some, or a few, but every blessing, every happiness.  When God provided His Son He broke down every barrier and made possible the virtually impossible:  that we can be so close to God as to know Him fully--no holds barred.  These knowledges, these happinesses, this intimacy is all "in the heavenly realms", that is, they are spiritual things, and therefore fully with us in the here and now.  Though we may not appear to be "melded to God" because we may be physically hurting or emotionally weak or mentally deficient, by faith we still are.  None of these conditions will defeat us--none will last.  If united to Christ, and if abiding "in" Him, we do have an everlasting condition that lifts us way up to God, that transcends all other circumstances--even while the circumstances may go on for years.  We need to know what we posses "in Christ."  We need to know so that we can be encouraged while enduring "concurrently negative circumstances."

To me, the important truth here is that we owe God praise.  No wonder we will be occupied, as are the angels now and 24 hours a day, praising God in heaven!  It's all we will want to do because He has done so much--everything--for us!  It's all we should want to do now as well.  "Praise be to God!"

Prayer:  Most Holy God, worthy of all our praise, thank You for being such a "giving" God!  May You stretch our minds and hearts to understand just how big Your gifts are--so big that we are, even in this moment, lifted into the heavenlies!  Amen.

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