"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. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
One of my favourite verses of the Bible from which I draw encouragement and comfort is Ephesians 1 : 3-4.
When I read in v3 that I have been ' blessed….with
every spiritual blessing in Christ' , it is humbling to reflect how empty
and helpless I would be without Christ. I would be dependent on my own strengths
and self-sufficiency and be at the mercy of every twist and turn of life 'under
the sun'. Being convinced that the Easter events actually happened, I feel secure
that because of Jesus, the things I do and think which are wrong are forgiven.
I am a child of God rather than His enemy. As my sin was taken on by Jesus,
I am right with God. The Holy Spirit dwells in me. The verse also reminds me
that my Father in heaven loves me and blesses me and wants me to follow Him
closely. A divine anchor in my life despite the times I often fail Him.
Verse 4 tells me that even before the world was made, Christ in love intended
to die for me ( and you). If I can use a line from Mission Praise 619 : '
Such love, fountain of life to me…'
I find reflection on these verses help to stimulate prayers of praise to God, especially at times when my heart begins to turn cold and dry. As I write this, I have to confess it has reminded me of the battle I face with my own pride and to try to enthrone Christ in my life.
Comment by Gary Meechan.