Let Me Hear You Say, EVERY!
Ephesians 1:3 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
God blessed (endowed… *Strong’s Concordance) us with… Every spiritual (supernatural – not of earth… *Strong’s Concordance) blessing (a beneficial thing – something that brings well-being… *Strong’s Concordance) found in the heavenly places… in Christ
Let me hear you say…
EVERY!
Every what?
SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES!
God-given how?
IN CHRIST!
Yes, I am YELLING AT YOU… and at MYSELF.
Do we even begin to know what we have been given? Or have our eyes gone blurry and our ears gone deaf?
When I take inventory, is it an itemized list of all that I have? Or is it my insatiable list of all that I NEED greedily want?
Do I SEE the “bling” of this earth and pursue its self-made prison of slavery?
Would I even KNOW a spiritual blessing if I knew I “HAD” one, or would I throw it in the corner of my closet because it didn’t fit or look like my style?
I have (I am embarrassed to say) in times past, thrown God’s gifts in a corner and happily clung to my prison cell. It’s door always seemed open so I imagined I could wander in and out as I liked… my enemy (Satan) made it appear very beautiful so that I wouldn’t want to leave. Any ugliness was covered with pretty scarfs and/or blamed on God “who, just doesn’t want my happy-healthy-wise self to enjoy life… like the Professional Party Planner of Hell does”.
But God… in my few and far between quiet times (Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ), dropped an ocean of His truth over my head. He flooded my life with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…
Then He… revealed the heart – His heart by giving His blessings!
Ephesians 1:4-12 HE CHOSE US in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love HE PREDESTINED US TO ADOPTION AS SONS (and daughters) 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. 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. 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. 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.
To top it all of…
Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him, we also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, He SEALED (US) 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.
Chosen… Predestined… Adopted… Redeemed… Forgiven… Known and Knowing… Made Heirs… Sealed by – for – and with Himself…
Let me hear you say EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING!
I am still tempted occasionally, by the enemy, to look back and see the beautifully appointed (sarcasm!) life I used to pursue… for a moment, like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26), I am tempted to turn back, but my eyes have been opened and I SEE evil’s plan to turn me into his salt block, in order to break God’s heart. I SEE the prison doors that have been hidden from my earthly eyes… they are NOT OPEN… they are closed and locked!
For a moment I am paralyzed…
Until I TURN MY EYES ON JESUS… LOOK FULL in HIS wonderful face!… And the “bling” of earth grows strangely dim (where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal – Matthew 6:19)… in the LIGHT of His glory and grace… where EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING is given and waiting to be put on and worn with the CROWN OF LIFE we have been given.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
When your heart is grieving because of all you do not have or feel you have lost…
Let Me Hear You Say… GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED ME
When your eyes see only doom and gloom…
Let Me Hear You Say… WITH EVERY (even if you can only whisper it) SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
When you wonder if it will ever be your turn…
Let Me Hear You Say… THROUGH JESUS CHRIST – THROUGH HIS BLOOD – ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE.
Am I the only one SHOUTING NOW? Let me HEAR YOU!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible