I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you…” vss. 7-8a
Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul doesn’t seem to have known the people that he was writing to, but he has certainly heard of their faith, and he regularly includes them in his prayers of Thanksgiving. He wants them to know that they’re on a journey and that they’re in for the ride of their lives. The Holy Spirit has called them into the Church, which is the body of Christ, and in that community they will continue to grow in wisdom as the Spirit enlightens them. These phrases should be familiar to us–it’s what most of us believe about our own call to faithfulness in Christ. We don’t get the full package of understanding in the beginning–it takes a lifetime to fully know Christ and our role in his Body. But bit by bit as the years pass, enlightenment does come–the Spirit is infinitely patient–and gradually we get a sense of the hope to which we have been called. And what a wonderful thing it is when that hope becomes a permanent part of our daily living! It’s better than the best Black Friday has to offer, a free gift from the Holy Spirit, and one we will cherish until our dying day.
Thought for the Day: What is life like without hope?
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