Ephesians 1:18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Oh mih people, the ole fella’s neighbourhood is nothing but a beautiful panorama of white this Tuesday morning in mid January! (smile)
Between yesterday afternoon and last night a winter squall passed and deposited a few inches of snow in the area. All the housetops and trees are definitely looking wintry in their blankets of white.
It’s all very good for the eyes, but on the other hand it’s going to be a terrible commute this morning for those who have to brave the white stuff and try to get to work, school or home.
Chuh! If the snow would only fall on the banks and not on the roads eh… dream on dreamer. (smile) I guess too the fellow that I’ve been paying to clean my driveway will finally have some work to do. It’s one of those days if you don’t have to go out, just don’t. And the operative words there are ‘have to.’
I have been fighting a cold for the last few days and you’re certainly not going to catch me out there. I’m just going to stay in my warm confines with my stuffy nose and wheezing chest and admire the lovely vista out there.
And since today is Tuesday, then let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity and truth. As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Oh Friends, I can’t help but repeat my self, for every time we declare that Mantra, it just touches a soft spot in my heart and soul!
Just imagining myself being LOVED by my Creator, and also being a friend of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…. it humbles, as well as lifts me up to think that such wonderful Beings truly care about me. And not about me alone, but about all those who sincerely believe in them.
Oh glory to God my brethren! Let’s not forget, nor take for granted the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our most merciful and gracious God, who first gave us life, then provides for us down here on planet earth.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.’
Yes Friends, we’ll continue looking at enlightening the eyes of our understanding by lauding scripture passages that deal with the subject. And we’ll start with promises, prophecy from Isaiah, re the restoration of Israel to Zion, a message of hope.
‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart (deer), and the tongue of the dumb (mute) sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.’ (Is.35:4-6)
Oh glory to God for His goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men! Yes my precious people, our God is a good God, one who’s interested in the welfare of His people. And since He doesn’t change, then it means that He’s still interested in our welfare today.
But we have to give Him the chance to work in our lives, to open our eyes of understanding and show us the good plan He has for us, to give us a hope and a future. It’s therefore essential then that we open our hearts, souls and minds to Almighty God and His Word, otherwise we won’t be able to claim the riches of His glory and His inheritance as saints.
Now hear this exciting scripture when Bruh Paul testified before King Agrippa, re his conversion on the road to Damascus. At midday, a bright light from heaven struck down him and his posse.
‘And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue (language), Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads, thing that torments). And I said, Who art thou, Lord?
And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear (reveal) unto thee.
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:14-18)
Oh friends, our God is very interested in opening our eyes and enlightening us as to who He is, but won’t do it without our permission. So please, let’s open our hearts today and let Him in nuh, so that He can fulfill His dream for us.
And we’ll end with this reminder from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.’ (Eph.5:8).
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘5:8. Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now to be religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness.’
Oh my brethren, I sincerely hope and pray that we have all seen the light! Much LOVE!
…the only antidote for darkness…is the light of Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 