Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ephesians+003

 

EPHESIANS

CHAPTER 3  (ESV)

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

 

REFLECTION:

1. In the second half of the previous chapter, Paul looks at the salvation for the Gentiles. Through Christ’s dying on the cross, Gentiles and Jews are reconciled and became one in the new community – church. In this chapter, Paul explained that the goal of his ministry is to display God’s wisdom in bringing different peoples into a unified church (v1-13). Since God has blessed us so greatly, Paul prayed that believers (and all Christians) would comprehend fully the extent of God’s love for them (vv. 14-21).
2. Paul repeatedly mentions “love” and “power” in this passage. He earnestly desired that God’s people be “rooted and established in love” in order that we have power “together with all the saints” to grasp and know the love of Christ (vv18-19).  How can we grasp or understand love?  By experiencing the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ.  What do you learn about power and love in these verses?
3. The mark of a truly spiritual church is still, “See how they love one another.” With today’s passage in mind, pray for your church that you, as a church family, may bear the mark of “loving one another” and may experience deeply the love of Christ.

 

PRAYER:

God’s power is at work within us! But perhaps more incredibly, He is using that power in a way that is beyond our wildest dreams and for things that we wouldn’t dare ask or even have the sense to ask (v. 20). We can trust in our faithful God because there is a strength and security in his love that the Spirit uses to enrich us (v. 16-17)

 

HYMN:

“Behold Our God” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqrli3Lkf58

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ephesians+002

 

EPHESIANS

CHAPTER 2  (ESV)

¹ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

REFLECTION:

• Paul explained how all spiritual blessings given by God (ch 1) actually became reality to each believer. He contrasted what the believer was before regeneration with what he or she is after. All the glory for the change goes to God who provided salvation for people. God gave us life and called us to good works, that His grace might be displayed. We do not need to do good works to merit salvation.
• One of the best-known verses in the book of Ephesians is 2:8, “By grace you have been saved, through faith.”
• Focus on God’s graciousness to you in the past days, weeks and months. Allow yourself to experience the depth of His goodness. Respond to Him in prayer and praise.
• Sing “Amazing Grace” meditatively and continue conversation with God.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snare, we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far and Grace will lead us home

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.

 

PRAYER:

Consider how you have sinned against God today. This may become clearer if we think about how we have sinned against other people. If you can’t think of anything, ask our merciful God to show you (v. 4). Remember that you were made with a purpose and that you can only live that out fully through His grace. (v. 8-10). We can be thankful that we will certainly do so because He has already prepared the way (v. 10).

 

HYMN:

“Before the Throne of God Above” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXHXFhJA4SY

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ephesians+001

 

EPHESIANS

INTRODUCTION

Traditionally named Ephesians, this letter may not actually have been written to the believers in Ephesus. Some of the best early copies of the letter don’t include the phrase in Ephesus in the greeting. While Paul spent two years in Ephesus, this letter appears to address people Paul has never met.

Paul here presents a two-fold pattern, first explaining the new identity believers have in Christ and then bringing out the implications for their new way of life. God has brought everything together under the rule of the Messiah, exalting Jesus above all things. Paul echoes a phrase from Psalm 8—God placed all things under his feet—to show that Jesus is the truly human one. Jesus fulfills the original human calling to rule over the creation properly. Jews and Gentiles have been brought together into one body, with Jesus at the head. God is now creating one new humanity from all over the world through the reconciling work of the Messiah.

This means Jesus-followers must give up their former way of life and practice purity in daily living and integrity in their relationships. The reciprocal responsibilities of those in and under authority are used as key examples of the new kinds of relationships God is expecting. Paul cautions his readers that they are entering a spiritual battle. They must arm themselves with all the resources God has provided, until the Messiah brings unity to all things in heaven and on earth.

 

https://www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/EPH.INTRO1.NIV

 

CHAPTER 1 (ESV)

 

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Paul began the body of his letter by revealing the spiritual blessings that God has planned for believers in His Son. (v3-14) He then prayed that they would appreciate and appropriate these good things in their own lives. He moved from benediction to intercession.(v15-23)
2. Paul’s prayer for the believers is that they might come to know God intimately (v17). This is so that we might better appreciate all spiritual blessings God’s given us:

The past: calling to salvation that gives us hope (v18), the future: inheritance that we constitute for God (v18), and the present: power of God available to us (v19).

God manifested this power in the past in Christ’s resurrection and ascension (v20-21). He will manifest it in the future by making Jesus Christ the head over all creation (v22). He is now manifesting this power in Jesus Christ’s headship over the church (v23).

3. When you pray for fellow Christians, how do you usually pray for them? In what ways would you like your prayers be more like Paul’s?
4. Use Paul’s prayer in vv17-19 to pray for the individuals in your church. How does praying this prayer affect your appreciation of God, yourself, the individuals you are praying for?  What will happen if your group prayed these verses every week for each other? Try it and see.

 

PRAYER:

Who are you thankful for and what about them moves you to feel this way? Ask God to give them the same Spirit of wisdom and revelation that Paul describes (v. 17).

 

HYMN:

“My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTpJxPyo3JE

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+036

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 36 (ESV)

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord…

 

17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon…

 

21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The destruction of Judah was not without signs. God admonished Judah repeatedly that He would continue to have mercy on His people if they abandoned evil. Ultimately, as recorded in this chapter, the kings and the people of Judah did not abandon evil and the situation was to a point beyond redemption. People will incur disaster if they repeatedly sin and not repent. Therefore you must be careful not to hide your sin but to thoroughly confess and repent before God. Otherwise, God will give His judgment instead of His mercy at the point beyond redemption.
2. The exile of Judah was a judgment according to the laws already set by God. Lev. 26:27-45 recorded an astonishing prophecy about the exile of the Israelites saying God will pull them out of their land because they disobey Him. They ignored God’s laws with one that says they should let their land rest and lie fallow every seventh year (cf. Exod. 23:10-11). During the seventy years of exile of the Israelites, the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths and made up the years that they did not follow this law. We know that God will keep His promise, not only the promise of blessing but also the promise of judgment. Reflect on God’s holiness and righteousness. If people purposely hide their sins and not confess, God will punish these sins.

 

PRAYER:

Humbly come before God and praise God for his holiness and righteousness. Reflect if you have any hidden sins that you don’t want to confess. Ask God to give you courage to thoroughly confess you sins though it may be very difficult for you. Ask God to forgive you and give you greater courage to repent with actions that your life will be refined by God.

 

HYMN:

Refiner’s Fire – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lBhvTAfmIk

 

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=2Chronicles+035

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 35 (ESV)

 

16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

 

REFLECTION:

Although King Josiah trusted God and led the people to keep the Passover and made burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, God did not remove the punishment for Judah because the people followed Manasseh’s sins with repentance on the surface but disobedience in secret. Josiah ignored the warning from Neco king of Egypt because he thought it was impossible for God to deliver the message of His great scheme through a pagan king. Such a wrong assumption costed Josiah his life. Although not all messages are true when people claim that they are originated from God, God’s message can be delivered in unexpected ways. Reflect how you will develop the wisdom of discernment in your faith and avoid not receiving God’s message because of prejudice and false assumption.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to give you wisdom and develop your ability to discern so that you can hear God’s voice in this chaotic world and see His glory. Ask God to help you judge all things so that you can glorify God through obeying His will in your daily activities.

 

HYMN:

“Be Thou My Vision” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4YmRNTaSao