Meditation: Ephesians 3:14-21

The following passage from the Bible has helped me immensely; I read it daily for months, intensely, letting the words burn into my mind and heart until I knew it by heart. I now pray it often meditating on it.

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him, who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…”
Because he is Creator Father, infinite, magnificent and powerful beyond all imagination. Holding the universe, all universes, in existence by his mere thought. Yet he is Abba, Father, our intimate, loving, Daddy, Papa loving with the tender love of Dada for his little child, knowing ever fiber, every hair of our head, every tear, every laugh. And by whose loving plan, set out before the foundation of the world, sent his only Son to teach, to serve, to love, to heal us all, and to take away our sin and guilt.

“…from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,…”
He created and named and knows every family, every person. We are all his children, not only by creation, but by adoption through his Son, Jesus Christ, the first born from the dead. If we die to sin and death through baptism, even baptism of desire, we rise again as brothers and sisters of Christ, children of God and in the body of Christ.

“…that according to the riches of His glory he may grant you to strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man,…”
Rich in glory, and love is his greatest glory, love of his creation, mankind and because he is glorious he wants us to be rich in glory, too. He strengthens us. he sends his Spirit to any who ask, seek, knock, and gives them gifts to make them strong, to show his glory and his glorious love.

“…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;…”
And God’s greatest gift, from his own heart, his Son, the image and revelation of God. Faith in his Son is a gift he gives us by his great love, and if we accept it, Jesus Christ will come and live in us, love in us, with and through his Holy Spirit.

“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love,…”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” God is love, the ground of the universe, of being, let us ground ourselves in his love and love for others.

“…may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and height and depth…”
If we ground ourselves in this love, our Father and his Son send the Spirit to empower us, to teach us. In his great love, he wants to reveal himself to us, he wants us to know him intimately as we are known.

“…and to know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge…”
Yet knowing the love of Christ, in our hearts, our minds, our souls, is beyond anything else we can know or imagine, he is in all and is all. All I need to know is that Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, gave up everything for me, and lives to love me, care for me, help me, I need only love him in return, try to put him first in my life.

“…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Jesus is the fullness of God. Let him dwell in you. I may feel I can’t go on but Jesus in me can. ‘I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ (Gal 2:20a)

“Now to him, who by the power at work within us, is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think,…”
The gentle, loving power of God is working in all. Ask, seek, knock, he knows what you need, but he wants you to turn to him and ask, and receive with loving thanks.

“…to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, forever and ever, amen.”
Every good comes from God, thank him, praise him, not because he needs it but because it is we who need to give thanks and praise, it lifts us up and heals us and it is the natural response to his love. If not for us then for our children and our children’s children…