Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 10
Friday


WAITING
TO CHEER

READ:'
Ephesians 3:14-21
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...to know the love
of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you
may be filled with all
the fullness of God.
__Ephesians 3:19
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In his very first Little League baseball game, a young player on the team I was coaching got hit in the face with a ball,. He was not hurt but was understandably shaken. For the rest of the season, he was afraid of the ball. Game after game, he bravely tried, but he just couldn't seem to hit the ball.

In our final game, we were hopelessly behind, with nothing to cheer about. Then that young man stepped up to take his turn. Thwack! To everyone's surprise, he hit the ball sharply! His teammates went wild; his parents cheered loudly. Even though we were still losing the game, I was jumping up and down! We all loved this kid and cheered him on.

I imagine that the Lord cheers us on in our lives as well. He loves us deeply and desires that we "may be able to comprehend...what is the width and length and depth and height__to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3:18-19).

Some think of the Lord as unloving and waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. So we have the privilege of telling them of His deep love for them. Imagine their joy when they hear about the God who loves them so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for their sin and who wants to cheer them on! __Randy Kilgore

```````````````````Help us, heavenly Father, to see the many``````````````````
``````````````````ways You love and encourage us; then help``````````````````
`````````````````````us to love and encourage those around``````````````````
````````````````````````us so that they can see You in us.```````````````````
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The nail_pierced hands of Jesus
reveal the love_filled heart of God.

**************************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 3:14-21*************************

14 For this reason I bow
my knees to the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom the whole
family in heaven and earth
is named, 16 that He would
grant you, according to the
riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might
through His Spirit in the
inner man, 17 that Christ
may dwell in your hearts
through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded
in love, 18 may be able to
comprehend with all the
saints what is the width and
length and depth and
height__ 19 to know the love
of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of
God.

20 Now to Him who is able
to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according
to the power that works in
us, 21 to Him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus to
all generations, forever and
ever. amen.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Notice the layers of expectation in Paul's doxology (v.20). While
extolling the power of our Creator God, Paul affirms first and
foremost the ability of God ("Him who is able"), then stretches
our imaginations by telling us that his ability reaches "exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think." It is not simply that God
is able, He is able to do infinitely more than we can conceive or
comprehend. It is a foundational understanding of God's ability that

gives teeth to Paul's prayers and strength to his hope. Both rest in
the God who is able!

[cimi]

OOPs:)