December 20,2022
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21) NKJV.
This month of Devotional Thoughts has addressed that suffering is a part of the Christians’ journey. We will go through trials and tribulations at some point in our lives. It seems as if some people suffer more than others. What we have learned together this month is that no matter how much we suffer or what we go through, we can trust God when He tells us in (2 Corinthians 12:9a), “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I want us to spend some time now looking at our inner strength.
Paul prays for the Ephesians,”… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man (v.16). It is this strength that comes from knowing the sufficiency of God’s Grace that makes it possible for us to endure all things. This knowledge that Christ dwells in our hearts gives us faith; we are not in this battle alone. Do you know that God loves you? Your answer to this question will determine how you handle suffering in your life. Listen to what Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians – He prays the same for us, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (vs.17-19). The key to knowing God loves you is found in the first part of (v.17), “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
Friends, Paul completes his prayer for the Ephesians (and for us) in (vs. 20-21), “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Would you join me in this Pray today?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the beautiful encouragement I have received today from Paul’s prayer. You are the One Who gives me inner strength. I rest in the fact that Your Grace is more than sufficient for me. I believe in my heart that Christ dwells inside me, and I know that You love me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Encouraging Words from Rick Warren: The deepest level of worship is praising God despite the pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant.
God Bless you and have a Blessed Day, Friends <><
Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org
Feedback, or Devotion Ideas? Send an email to info@wearethebridge.org
Download The Bridge Mobile App to get the latest devotions, blog posts, podcast episodes, and more as soon as they are published!
