Ephesians 3:14-21 Strengthened With Power
I feel like we are back in the “pep rally” with Paul again. He is reminding us of the amazing power of God that we can draw on in our walk with Him. From the “roots of love” on up to the “more than we could ask or think” experience through the Holy Spirit.
Paul is humbling himself to beseech God on our behalf. He is not asking some homemade god or some wimpy god but the God whom “every family and in Heaven and on earth is named” (verse 15). That amazing and powerful God.
He is asking that God strengthen us and give us power through His Holy Spirit. And He has that power on hand at all times. He is the One who spoke the universe into existence with a word. He is the One who holds it all in balance. He is the One who ripped open Hell to ransom us back to Himself.
The foundation of our existence with Him is love. His love for us first, our love for Him, and finally our love for others because of His love. His love for us is our roots. Without them feeding our spirit we could not stand in the storms of this world. Our love for Him is the trunk growing thicker and stronger each passing season as we take in more of Him. Our love for others are the branches reaching out offering fruit and shade to all who would partake of the life coming from the life sustaining roots.
I’m sorry. I got carried away with the imagery of the tree an stepped out of our building excitement of the rally.
In our escalating cheer with Paul he moves from asking for God’s strength and power to asking to know Him more intimately. He asks that His Spirit reveals to us “what is the breadth and length and heights and depth” (verse 18) of Jesus’ love for us. THAT is a tall order as we are told that Jesus’ love “surpasses knowledge.” How deep is Your love Lord? I can never plumb the depths of it fully but I sure want to try!
Paul also asks that we “be filled with all the fullness of God” (verse 19). We would be overflowing with just a partial fill from Him! There would be no room left for anything else, especially sin. PLEASE sign me up Lord!
We are finally brought to our feet in excitement as Paul shares that this same God is at work in us individually and corporately. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (verses 20-21). Nothing is too difficult for Him! And we are part of that “all generations” phrase. So because He is able and I am included, I am able through Him to do ALL things! What a MIGHTY God we serve!!!
This doesn’t mean I’m walking on water tomorrow or that physical death can never take me. Instead it means that NO MATTER WHAT I can trust Him to walk with me through whatever comes. That I can trust Him to always know what is best for my life. That I am safe when I place my life in His hands.
And that HE alone is in charge of bringing the fruit about out of what He has me share about Him. I don’t have to worry about trying to provoke a response or ensure that everyone relates to what I have to say. I simply have to submit my will to His and go where He takes me.
Father God, please fill me to the top! Please remind me daily Whose power I’m to lean on. Draw me deeper every time we come together into the wonder that is Your word. Help me to know You more every day and to walk in what I learn. Don’t let me become the man who looks at himself in the mirror then walks away and forgets what he saw. (I’ll take that for my body but not for my spirit.) Thank You for all the imagery You share with me. I love “seeing” what You want to share with me.
