I have started to read a book on spiritual discernment and the author mentioned that we can use both our five natural senses and our spiritual senses to know what God is saying. But she did suggest that your spiritual eyes may need to be opened in ways that may be new or unusual to you. Today I was driving into town and stopped behind a car with a license plate that said “EPH 4679.” Probably this license plate is just random letters and numbers to the person who owns that car, but I saw “Ephesians 4:6, 7, and 9.” So, spiritual eyes open, I looked those verses up. The Passion Translation says:
(v. 6) “And he is the perfect Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all!”
So far so good – a reminder that God is leading us, works through us, and lives in us.
(v. 7) “And he has generously given each one of us supernatural grace, according to the size of the gift of Christ.”
Seriously, I totally need “supernatural grace” for some things right now. So, God, I’ll take it. (Maybe you can say the same.)
(v. 9) “He “ascended” means that he returned to heaven, after he had first descended from the heights of heaven, even to the lower regions, namely, the earth.”
Well, this one didn’t get me as fast. Yes, Jesus descended from heaven to earth to be among us and then he re-ascended to heaven. Maybe this is just a reminder that Jesus lowered himself to come among us. I’ll percolate on it and see if a different meaning comes up.
In the meantime, I’ll pray parts of Ephesians 4 over us to start this new week.
Lord, thank you for the encouragement to live the kind of life which proves that you have called us. Help us to be humble and gentle in every way, patient with each other and lovingly accepting each other, doing our best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives. We believe there is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and we were called to share one hope. You are the One God and Father of all, who is over everything, through everything, and in everything. Thank you for your favor which has been measured out and given to each of us by Christ. Give us hearts for you until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ who is the standard. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. Help us grow so your Church is built up in love. Help us not to live any longer like other people in the world but to have a new attitude, living a new life that truly has your approval and holiness. You are the perfect Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all. Thank you for the supernatural grace you have generously given each one of us. May we walk worthy through this day and week, having spiritual senses attuned to you, and honoring you with our lives. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
“I, a prisoner in the Lord, encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. 2 Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other. 3 Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives. 4 There is one body and one Spirit. In the same way you were called to share one hope. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over everything, through everything, and in everything.
7 God’s favor has been given to each of us. It was measured out to us by Christ who gave it. 8 That’s why the Scriptures say:
“When he went to the highest place,
he took captive those who had captured us
and gave gifts to people.”
9 Now what does it mean that he went up except that he also had gone down to the lowest parts of the earth? 10 The one who had gone down also went up above all the heavens so that he fills everything.
11 He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts ⌞to his church⌟. 12 Their purpose is to prepare God’s people to serve and to build up the body of Christ. 13 This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. 15 Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. 16 He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Live as God’s People
17 So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. 18 They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. 19 Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more.
20 But that is not what you learned from Christ’s teachings. 21 You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. 23 However, you were taught to have a new attitude. 24 You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, with a life that truly has God’s approval and is holy.” (Ephesians 4:1-24 GW)