Saturday in the First Week of Ordinary Time

Ephesians 1:15-18

The Hope to which He Has Called Us

Life is a day-to-day struggle.  I don’t mean the lists of things to do which we all have (whether we write those lists out or not), getting along with people at work, or the numerous temptations which afflict each and every one of us.  All of these are difficult enough.  No.  I’m talking about the day-to-day living of our lives which causes us to be so earthly-minded that we don’t even consider the matters that Paul talks about in this passage—matters which should be in the forefront of our minds as soon as we rise out of our beds.

And what are those matters?  That we should pray for and pursue such a close relationship with our God that He would give us “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,” that as born-again believers who have had the eyes of our hearts opened that we may know Him, that we should also “know what is the hope to which He has called [us], what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”  And this is truly a wonderful blessing which we so rarely put to our benefit; that is, to pray for a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him and to know the hope to which we have been called.

As to prayer for a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, we remember that we know nothing apart from His word.  So we pray that His word would be ever effective within our hearts and minds, that our understanding of it would take us beyond elementary matters to maturity (Hebrews 6:1), that through constant meditation thereon we may have His word seep into our being as our life and breath, our meat and drink.  In this way, our minds are ever open to His view of things and of the way to walk before Him and the world.

As to knowing the hope to which we have been called, such knowledge should be a never-ending source of joy for us as we consider our inheritance and heavenly reward.  Such a hope feeds the desire within us to be with Him in glory such that we pant for Him in the here and now (Psalm 42:1).  Prayers such as, “Thy kingdom come” and “Come, Lord Jesus” are not for us wishful thoughts but intense longings for the day he comes to rule the nations with a rod of iron.  Indeed, as we consider the hope of our calling and the riches of our inheritance, the things of this world “grow strangely dim,” and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.  So meditate on these things, let them be in the forefront of your mind, and life will be easier, for your mind will be set on things above (Colossians 3:1-4).

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor

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