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Daily Devotion: Ephesians 3:1-7

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Ephesians 3:1-7    "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,  (2)  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:  (3)  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,  (4)  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)  (5)  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;  (6)  That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:  (7)  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power."

I used seven verses this morning because that is one complete sentence. Paul wrote long sentences. Just a side note here - I never thought 4th grade diagramming sentences would ever be of benefit to me. I was wrong. In this sentence, Paul is telling the Ephesians that God appointed him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles to reveal the great mystery that it was always God's plan to include the Gentiles in this great and glorious truth of salvation. It was not an "afterthought" on God's part. He did not turn to the Gentiles because the Jews rejected the truth of Christ Jesus; rather, it was always God's intention.

God told Abraham, "... in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."  In Isaiah chapter 42, the prophecy is given concerning the Messiah: "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." (Isaiah 42:6-7) And then we hear Jesus saying, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16) These words of Jesus were the reference point for Paul saying in Ephesians 2:14, "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."

My thought for today is this: God doesn't make mistakes. God's plan is not thwarted by the stubbornness of man. He doesn't have a plan A and a contingency plan B. This is true for each of us. God has a perfect will and plan for your's and my life. You are not an accidental happening. You are no happenstance. You are the product of God's divine plan and purpose. Because of this great truth, I leave us with the words of Paul, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1)

1 Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, feed me til I want no more,
Bread of heaven, feed me til I want no more

2 Open now the crystal fountain, where the healing waters flow.
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, ever be my strength and shield,
Strong Deliverer, ever be my strength and shield.

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