Doubly at Home

Two metaphors come together in Ephesians 3:17 in an interesting way. 

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. (NLT)

First, try to picture Christ “making his home in your heart.”  Think of him coming in (without knocking, of course), kicking off his shoes, raiding the fridge for a snack, and making himself comfortable in your favorite chair.  Does this idea make me gasp with horror or with delight?  Does He find me running to meet him with my arms open wide or scrambling to hide the stuff he shouldn’t see?  I think I would do the former; I can hardly wait to see Him!  But when He makes Himself at home, He will call the shots.  Am I really ready for that?  (A great resource for exploring this whole idea is My Heart Christ’s Home by Robert Boyd Munger.)

Second, picture your “roots growing down into God’s love.”  Now the situation reverses and we’re the one entering into Christ!   I am stable, strong and secure in God’s limitless love.

Lord, please remind me of this when I am again tempted to feel rootless and homeless.  You are in me and I am in You

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That’s Rich!

In a language that I know, there’s a specific word to refer to how you feel when you’ve eaten too much sweet or rich food.  Though that is an unpleasant feeling, it does come to mind when I try to express how overwhelmed with awe and delight I am when intaking certain parts of God’s Word.  Like 1 Peter 1 and Ephesians 1, for example.

What can I compare it to?

–A bottomless treasure chest full of dazzling jewels…

–The richest dessert that you can only eat in tiny bites and savor every morsel…

–A sunset so beautiful it makes you want to cry…

–A garden of infinite variety, flowers of every shape and hue and fragrance…

–The sky on a starry night; the more you look the more you see…

God, your Word is wonderful!  It delights me, makes my heart sing and draws me to you.  I can never get enough—I never tire of it—I want to make it part of me.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Your Word in my own language.  And please raise up people to translate it in all its power and beauty into the 2000+ languages that don’t yet have even one word of it!

That Is the Mystery

Ever since I discovered Nancy Drew, I have loved mysteries—even devouring the Hardy Boys books written for boys.  The word “mystery” occurs several times in the book of Ephesians, referring to God’s recently revealed plan.

In 1:10, the mystery is the unification of everything in heaven and earth under Christ’s authority.  Note the vertical axis in the diagram below.

In 3:6, the mystery is the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles—again under Christ.  Note the horizontal axis in the diagram.

Now with Christ in the center of both axes—it forms a cross!  The only way to life and wholeness for a torn and alienated world is Christ and his death on the cross.