Well, we’ve had some time to park for a while, probably about two weeks. How was the reflection time? Did we allow God in our space? Here’s what I found out:
When we allow God to invade our personal space, we can then respond, “Surely the Lord was in this place.”
That’s His desire all along, to be near to us. He delights in us knowing that He is near. When we give Him free access to our space, that’s when we grow and learn from the Spirit of God.
As we pull into the next parking space, there’s something else to glean from.
Parking Space #2 is attached to Ephesians 3:16-19
Another important part of our preparation for making straight paths for Him is for us to be rooted and grounded in our faith.
Let’s look at another key scripture and dissect it. I know it’s long, but we’ll take it apart as we learn and grow. I chose the Amplified version cause it’s so rich!
I guess you already discerned that I like rich and deep. Let’s begin. The scripture starts with a prayer:
” May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].” Ephesians 3:16-19, AMP
- He begins by saying, “May He grant you.” Paul is kneeling before the Father, praying for this for his followers.
- He’s asking that, far beyond what we can know in the natural, that God’s gifts of love and power be released “…Out of the riches of His glory.”
- There are riches in His glory (His glorious presence) that energize and strengthen us with his power in the innermost part of our being.
- Yep, “It’s in Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28
- Paul’s asking that through faith Jesus may dwell in our hearts–AKA to be completely ‘at home’ there–to dwell.
Ok, here’s the rooted and grounded part I mentioned earlier.
- God desires us to be rooted and established in His love.
- His love is what grounds us and secures us.
- This amazing and endless love surpasses human understanding by our head knowledge, which is secured and established through personal experience.
- Having a personal relationship with Jesus precedes personal experience.
- Mere head knowledge is not what will enable us to have the richest experience of God’s presence in our lives.
- God wants us to be completely saturated and completely filled, so we are flooded with God Himself.
- We must be rooted in His Word and allow the “Living Water” to keep us thriving and growing.
- We become like “…A tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” Psalm 1:3
Here’s the final summary of what occurs if properly rooted: “Whatever he/she does prospers.”
We need to be planted to yield the fruit of God in our lives, good fruit that remains.
Such a tree withstands the buffeting of the winds and will flourish. It will bless man, animals, and birds with its unfailing fruit and shade.
The fruit He gives to us will bless others as well.
We are not to withhold His blessings in our lives, but to release them.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on My Beloved’s Voice
KINGDOM ASSURANCE
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