Ephesians 3:10-13

Scripture: Ephesians 3:10-13
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Observations
Verse 12 is one of my favorites of all time. I mean it, I have it framed in my bedroom. I can't ever get over the fact that I can approach God :) I can freely and confidently approach God! The holy, mighty God, Creator of all things. We have an all-access pass!! Even at my worst, when I come "tail-between-legs" and ashamed, God still receives me because Christ covers me.  I think of the prodigal son, how he was still welcomed by his father when he came back. In the same way, even when our sin is disappointing, God has mercy, through Christ. He doesn't turn us away when we approach Him with contrite hearts.

Application
Why do we struggle with approaching God? Are we hiding in the bushes like Adam and Eve due to shame? Are we running away from God like Jonah due to disobedience? Are we listening to Satan's lies, that we need to "have it together" prior to approaching God?

Prayer
Lord, encourage our hearts this morning to pursue you and approach you. We rejoice that you have a purpose for each of us. Help us to make time to seek you and have the confidence to do so even when our lives seem messy. Thank you for allowing us to come to you, and being such a loving, comforting Father. I pray for your presence with each one of us today. In Christ's name, amen.

Ephesians 3:7-9

Scripture: Ephesians 3:7-9
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Observations
I really like how Paul humbles himself. Here's this powerful preacher, hand-picked by God, still reaching so many people (even me!) and yet he considers himself "less than the least of all God's people" and even calling himself the worst of sinners (1 Tim 1:15-16).

Application
I can take a humility lesson here, for sure. It also makes me think of how I'm serving and how I can better serve to spread the gospel. I often don't feel qualified, but Paul shows his calling is by grace, through God's power. This is available to all of us, so we have no excuse :) granted we're not all called to be preachers, but as a body we are called to further God's kingdom and to live as witnesses of Christ's love.

Prayer
Father, thank You for grace and the power You give us. I praise You for the unsearchable riches of Christ. Help us to be humble, loving, and bold servants for Your Kingdom today.  In Jesus's name I pray, amen!

Ephesians 3:1-6

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-6
1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles --
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you,
3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit of God's holy apostles and prophets.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Observation
When I read verse 5, I thought about how fortunate I am to be living in this age, after Christ. All these "mysteries" that Christ's coming revealed, and the law He came to abolish would still apply to me otherwise. I also thought about the great division between Jews and Gentiles back then. How amazing that God granted us a spirit of unity, and such a wonderful feeling of communion as a body! Christ came and didn't leave anybody out of His promise, or outside of His grace.

Application
The concept of grace is often still mysterious to me. Something so undeserved, freely given. It goes opposite to the world's teaching of having to earn things, then the constant boasting when we do earn them, then our constant comparison of what we have earned to what other people have earned, then an overall feeling of dissatisfaction with the whole process. And repeat. The more we pursue God, the further we get from that vicious cycle. With grace, we can see others as co-heirs of a beautiful promise, in a loving and unselfish way.  Instead of bitter, we can be encouraging. Instead of feeling dissatisfied, we can focus on all that God's faithfully providing and His eternal promise. I struggle personally with my current single state. BUT God's been so faithful in providing accountability and opportunities for me to grow and serve. I know He will provide the rest in His time. Meanwhile, I can enjoy fellowship with all you awesome moms and wives, and not feel out of place, as we are all members together of one body :)

Prayer
Thank You God for easing the anxiety in my heart. Thank You for providing this group of Godly women to give me a better understanding of unity. God, forgive us when we discount Your grace and take for granted Your provision. Help us to grow together in love, and encourage each other as co-heirs of Your promise. In Jesus's name, amen.