Ephesians 1:15-17 “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”
Full confidence in the saving grace of Jesus Christ is not something that is hidden from God’s people. It is a balm that flows forth and gives comfort and encouragement to those who hear of it. Unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus will produce a love for Him that can be seen in the love the believers have for all the saints. This faith is what makes us as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid.
How is it with us when we hear of God blessing His kingdom in some geographic location other than our own? Do we approach the news with a certain nonchalance? Do we think “That’s nice. I wish it were closer to home.”? We should lay up the news of God’s blessing upon His people as a treasure in our hearts even when it may not be directly affecting us at the time. Paul said from the time he learned of their faith in Jesus and love for the saints that he did not cease to give thanks to God for them.
This made Paul, who was once one of the greatest persecutors of the way of Jesus Christ, to rejoice and be glad. He could not get it off his mind. He was constantly thankful for this news that there were faithful in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. He was thankful that their faithfulness was open enough that news of it had traveled to him. Not only was he thankful, but he prayed for them to grow.
He called them out in his prayers and asked the God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation. He prayed that they might learn to be wise and have knowledge of Jesus manifested to them and in them. He was already deeply involved in a sincere desire for their welfare and for them to prosper in the things of the Father of glory. Any time we hear of the Spirit moving in His children, granting them faith in Jesus and love for His saints, we should be on our knees rejoicing in the will of God. We should be continually thanking Him and praying for His guidance in their lives as they grow in grace.
I am not saying we should not desire these same things to be taking place in our particular corner. However, we need to lose the “us” and “them” mentality that sometimes creeps in among us. Christ is not divided; there is no “us” and “them.” We need to rejoice whenever we hear of God blessing His children anywhere in the world to walk in truth. He is not blessing “them;” He is blessing “us” together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
May we all be filled with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord!