To My Beloved Daughters in Him
There is much that makes my brain hurt in that first verse. I have been predestinated according to His purposes before I was born....before any man was even created...before the foundation of the world. I am who I am because God chose to make me this way that I should be to the praise of His glory. Hendriksen puts it this way:
"Neither fate nor human merit determines our destiny. The benevolent purpose—that we should be holy and faultless (verse 4), sons of God (verse 5), destined to glorify him forever (verse 6, cf. verses 12 and 14)—is fixed, being part of a larger, universe-embracing plan. Not only did God make this plan that includes absolutely all things that ever take place in heaven, on earth, and in hell; past, present, and even the future, pertaining to both believers and unbelievers, to angels and devils, to physical as well as spiritual energies and units of existence both large and small; he also wholly carries it out. His providence in time is as comprehensive as is his decree from eternity."
God, who spoke this world into existence and also began a good work in me will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. He is faithful even when I am faithless. All of my life...each and every moment, has been planned before the foundation of the world. My life is not about me...it is about Him and His plan...it is also not about me striving for anything in my own strength. It is about me abiding and allowing Him to not only perform all things for me but also to perfect all that concerns me. He holds my right hand and walks me through...He orchestrates it all...my job is to stay close and abide. God will work out what He planned.
And here is the thing..."my" accomplishments..."my" life...they are not for my glory...they are for HIS. I am His clay...His pot! I am vessel for His use. I am the work of His hand...any power or glory in this earthen vessel is of Him not me. My God is the preeminent One! He created me...He is the potter...He does as He wills with me, the clay. I bear His image and am to proclaim and display His glory in my words, actions and life. This is why He redeemed me...that I should be to the praise of His glory.
To be honest this glory thing has at times stopped me short. Is God an egotist? No...He is holy and true. He desires the glory because He alone is worthy of the glory. To be worshipped and receive glory is the desire of all humans...but the worship and glory we desire for ourselves is undeserved and fraught with wrong and selfish motives. The glory that our God desires, however, is pure and just and right...AND He is worthy to receive it all.
The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we understand this. Why? Because as we draw close to Him we see the stark reality of who we are in the light of His greatness, His glory and His grace. More and more we see our own sinfulness, depravity and selfish motives in even the "good" we do and how totally and utterly underserving we are of any glory let alone of His grace and mercy. When we truly "see" the Lord like Job, we despise and abhor ourselves, fall on our face before Him and repent in dust and ashes. Truly He alone is worthy to be praised. I will end with Revelation 5:11-13:
"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”"
for the next study in Ephesians go here
Be to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”"
for the next study in Ephesians go here
