How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
Ephesians 1: 3-10 [The Message]
How does it make you feel today to know these things?:
- you were in God's mind before he laid the foundations of the earth
- you are the focus of God's love
- God has adopted you into his family through Jesus Christ
- God took pleasure in planning your adoption
- he wants you to join the celebration of his lavish gift-giving
- you are free – in spite of all that has happened since your birth
- you are not just a little bit free – but abundantly free
Thank you Lord for all you have planned for my life, for adopting me as your child and giving me abundant freedom to live a live enriched by your blessings. Amen.
Dave MacLellan
Read the Bible in a year: Psalm 109:21-31 Isaiah 51:17-54:17 Ephesians 1:1-23
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