LIFE! HIGH, DEEP, AND WIDE!

Sunday’s Monday

What is the first thing that comes to mind, when it comes to saving a life? Most, if not all, would think in terms of physical life which is what we are taught. Truth is, many have only a vague understanding of life and take it for granted. Ergo, we may never take the opportunity to save someone’s life because of our busyness in destroying our own. It is my opinion that life is so much deeper than heartbeats and breaths, although one would not ascertain that thought from the way many people live. Life, in itself, is a great mystery, it comes complete with a beginning and an end, which is factual. However, it is what lies between the two that gets complicated. Life is a precious gift of mystery and wonderment, a formula of past and present along with spiritual and self-centered desires filled dreams of better. Life is, “pretty much me living today based on how I would like to be remembered tomorrow.” The Apostle Paul alludes to this so much better than I, in the writings of Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT), 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. You see, many are convinced that life is what they make it, and God is there to help. They have no clue that life is based on love and the love of God is life complete. My explanation, God is love, God gives life, and to the followers of Jesus, life is made complete with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This train of thought was given to me today while watching and studying the video series Restoring The Shack written by Paul Young. His work in this novel has allowed God to deal with me in some untouched areas in my life. I am discovering what Apostle Paul is speaking of in Ephesians 3:19 (NLT), 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. It seems that God has me in a season of discovery, and it is as if I’m being reintroduced to myself by Jesus Christ Himself, and I got to tell you, I have never met the new me in the light that fills this season. For me to say, I’m a slow learner is an exaggerated understatement, and as hard as I’ve tried, the old me died, but its spirit remained “because” I held it too tightly. There were parts that I didn’t realize I was hanging on to, even with my consistent inventory processes, these undesirables went undetected. Then it hit me, we all have things in our past that go unnoticed and yet are at war with our spirit 24/7, causing fatigue, stress, and attitude swings. Sadly, we will excuse these symptoms rather than seek them out as we do not connect undealt with sin as a root problem. God desires us to tell Him every little thing that bothers us, so He can help us get through it. Paul hits on this Ephesians 3:20 (NLT), 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

I was recently introduced to a song while listening to Joy FM Radio that has helped me glorify Jesus on those tough days, as well as bring praise to my lips for Him during the good days. The song titled Too Much, sung by Paid in Full has the lyrics that says, So ashamed of the house I built, Tripping over a life of guilt, There I was at my very worst, But He reached down and He loved me first; “He loved me too much, To leave me like He found me!” Talk about telling my story, they nailed it! My thought immediately goes to Ephesians 3:7 (NLT), By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. I have to give God the credit, through all those divine appointments He arranged for me over the years, with men and women who understood His meaning of life, who through their obedience to the Holy Spirit, planted the good seed. In-which during that time I refused because I was so busy destroying my own life, along with the lives of all who were close to me, that I couldn’t conceive, I needed saving from anything. But those seeds eventually took root and saved my life both spiritually and physically. From which I’ve learned, when one gets to that point that they can see life as God sees it, they become rich beyond earthly measure! This is what Paul is implying in Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT), 10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

My prayer is from Ephesians 3:14-17 (NLT), 14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Amen

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

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