January 3 I Tuesday

Genesis 7-9

Matthew 3

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.”   

—Ephesians 1:17

Everyone who is a Christian has an inheritance in Christ. We have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. What is that inheritance? Paul tells us, “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” (Ephesians 1:3). When Jesus Christ came to live in us, God gave us everything He has to give because everything He has to give is in Christ.

       There are no add-ons that we keep needing to go for. In other words, strength is not an add-on, as Psalm 28:7 tells us: “The LORD is my strength”; guidance is not an add-on, as Proverbs 3:6 says: “in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight”; wisdom is not an add-on, as Paul tells us: “It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30); and love is not an add-on, as part of the fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). Altogether, everything God has to give us is in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, Paul prays, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better” (Ephesians 1:15-17). Our need is not to receive more things, but to know Him better, because everything we have is in Christ. This is more than simply an intellectual grasp of something; this is an experiential knowledge, because the very centre of who we are is our heart.

       Paul continues in his prayer, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you…” (Ephesians 1:18). Not just the eyes of our minds, but Paul prays specifically for the eyes of our heart to know. Why is this important? Because out of our heart flows everything else in life, as Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

       May we always give thanks to God for giving us everything we need in Christ and guard our heart from the lies of this world that tell us that we need to seek other resources to be blessed in life.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for every spiritual blessing in Christ. I have everything I need because You have given me Christ. Praise You!