Blessed Indeed!… The Reason for the Season!
Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.
EVERY. SPIRITUAL. BLESSING…
Not just one… or two… or even a stocking full… but EVERY!
HE. CHOSE. US…
Not after we did something/anything to deserve such grace… but BEFORE the foundation of the world!
In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
PREDESTINED. ADOPTION…
According to His will – His grace – His benevolence!
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
WE. HAVE…
Not maybe, not sometime, not a little… LAVISHED!
In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.
NO. MYSTERY…
He made it known to us and gave us the wisdom and insight to know His will!
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
WE. ARE. HIS. PREDESTINED. HEIR…
We have His inheritance!
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
After hearing His message, you believed… and…
YOU. WERE. SEALED. WITH. THE. HOLY. SPIRIT…
God’s own possession!
Fourteen verses of ALL. THE. REASONS. FOR. THE. SEASON!
Any questions?
If you were wondering what you were going to do tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day), start with thanking God.
If you were wondering what you were going to be thankful for, above is the FEAST of items that will keep you busy for infinity.
If we look only with our earthly eyes, our blessings can fade quickly in comparison to our “needs”. When we are asked to give our “reason for the season” at the Thanksgiving table, let us not be embarrassed because we do not have MUCH to be thankful for.
Tomorrow, (and every moment from now on) let us look within and use the eyes of the Holy Spirit… let us BE. THE. PRAISE. OF. HIS. GLORY!
My prayer for you and all of your loved ones (and your enemies too)…
The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”
And… have a wonderful… pressed down… shaken together… full… and overflowing… DAY OF THANKSGIVING!
I love you!
GOD. LOVES. YOU. MORE!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible