Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) 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.
Can you imagine living just one day without the presence of the Holy Spirit leading you? The thought of that possibility sobers my mind! I depend on Him from the time I rise from my bed in the morning and in every situation of the day. Some might view the Holy Spirit as someone they call on whenever they need Him but that relegates Him to the role of “sometime” friend. One of those “I’ll call you in a pinch people” that we try to find their number because we don’t talk to them that often. If we are to “walk in the Spirit” then we must become more and more aware of His presence in our life. Like a faithful friend that never leaves us God has ordained that His Spirit is the conduit of every Spiritual Blessing.
Paul tells the Ephesians that they are blessed with “every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus” but those blessings are from Heavenly realms. To walk in the spirit is our connection to the Father. Living a life filled with His presence allows us to receive the blessings that flow from God. When Adam sinned and hurled mankind into the darkness of separation from God there was no hope of reconciliation to be found on earth. There was no man, no woman, no beast, nothing that had been created could reconcile fallen man. Our salvation had to begin in Heavenly Realms. It started with God and only by His grace and mercy could the plan of salvation take place. But then the wonder of the ages began to unfold. God came down to earth! Born of the virgin, Jesus became the conduit of God’s grace and mercy. It was at His baptism that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and from that moment on Jesus began to perform miracles and confound the religious circles. He spoke with authority and wisdom and looked into the hearts of men and women with discernment that was undeniable. His every step was ordered by the Spirit.
If we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus than we must understand that our life and strength comes from God. Become dependent on the Spirit! Cry out like the Psalmist, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” Wake up with Him in the morning and lay down with Him at night. Be aware of His promptings and know His voice better than anyone or anything else. Long for Him. Desire Him. Depend on Him. Be desperate for Him. Because every spiritual blessing that we receive in Christ is directed through our lives by the Holy Spirit. What is He speaking to you now? Do you know His voice?
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
A Tiny Blue Dot
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) 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.
Sitting here looking out my window I can see the mountains that appear to rise up from the earth and tower over me. The ones by my house are small compared to others not far away which seem to reach to the sky breaking through the clouds in their majesty and splendor. This world has a way of taking our breath away. The mountains and the valleys, the oceans and the deserts, the canyons and the ever changing sky can make us feel small. We all know that we are helpless against the power of nature. Then I look at the pictures man has been able to take from across our solar system and see that this earth is but a tiny blue dot of insignificance in the vastness of space.
In our Scripture today, Paul praises God for His blessings that are in Heavenly realms. God does not dwell on Earth. His power doesn’t flow from the beauty that surrounds us but all that we see and know flow from Him. He spoke the world into existence and laid out the laws that govern every living thing. When God spoke the seas were formed and bound by His Word. He lifted the mountains into their place and laid out the course of the planets around the Sun. He is God and there is none like Him. I have to remind myself of that often because it is easy to walk by sight and not by faith. It is easy to look at the circumstances and measure power by what we can see around us. It is easy to forget that our blessings, our strength, our hope sits on the throne of Heaven.
Throughout The Word of God we see that things on Earth are a reflection or shadow of things in Heaven. Paul tells us this in Hebrew 8:5 when he speaks of the priesthood in this manner, “Who serve as an example or shadow of heavenly things..” Today, I want to remind you that this world is not in control. God has declared you blessed and there is nothing that can change what He has spoken. If we fail to receive and understand the things that God has declared in our life “in heavenly realms” than we cannot benefit from them here on earth. Paul reminds us that we are blessed not because of the circumstance of the day in this tiny blue dot but because we are cherished in the heart of the Creator and blessed by His decree.
Sitting here looking out my window I can see the mountains that appear to rise up from the earth and tower over me. The ones by my house are small compared to others not far away which seem to reach to the sky breaking through the clouds in their majesty and splendor. This world has a way of taking our breath away. The mountains and the valleys, the oceans and the deserts, the canyons and the ever changing sky can make us feel small. We all know that we are helpless against the power of nature. Then I look at the pictures man has been able to take from across our solar system and see that this earth is but a tiny blue dot of insignificance in the vastness of space.
In our Scripture today, Paul praises God for His blessings that are in Heavenly realms. God does not dwell on Earth. His power doesn’t flow from the beauty that surrounds us but all that we see and know flow from Him. He spoke the world into existence and laid out the laws that govern every living thing. When God spoke the seas were formed and bound by His Word. He lifted the mountains into their place and laid out the course of the planets around the Sun. He is God and there is none like Him. I have to remind myself of that often because it is easy to walk by sight and not by faith. It is easy to look at the circumstances and measure power by what we can see around us. It is easy to forget that our blessings, our strength, our hope sits on the throne of Heaven.
Throughout The Word of God we see that things on Earth are a reflection or shadow of things in Heaven. Paul tells us this in Hebrew 8:5 when he speaks of the priesthood in this manner, “Who serve as an example or shadow of heavenly things..” Today, I want to remind you that this world is not in control. God has declared you blessed and there is nothing that can change what He has spoken. If we fail to receive and understand the things that God has declared in our life “in heavenly realms” than we cannot benefit from them here on earth. Paul reminds us that we are blessed not because of the circumstance of the day in this tiny blue dot but because we are cherished in the heart of the Creator and blessed by His decree.
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