Spirit of Wisdom
Spirit of Wisdom. Verses 17 through 21 of Ephesians 1 contain so many riches that we can barely scratch the surface of its depths. We are in the middle of a prayer by Paul to the believers at Ephesus. What, exactly, is Paul asking of God in these verses?
17 that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you
the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is
the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which 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 principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Ephesians 1:17-21, NKJV
Spirit of Wisdom
Paul is asking that God would give the saints at Ephesus the wisdom of the Spirit and revelation in the knowledge of God. He is praying that their eyes of understanding will be enlightened and that they may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Yes, there is even more, but we will leave that for the next devotion!
Let's look at each of these requests. First, Paul asks for wisdom of the Spirit and revelation in the knowledge of God be given to these believers. Think of the significance of what Paul is asking. Becoming a believer and growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God is not just a matter of opening our Bibles and reading. Many a person has poured over the Scriptures and gained great Biblical knowledge without ever coming to Christ. How can that be?
Becoming a believer and growing in the knowledge of Christ is a supernatural experience. We cannot just open a person's mind and pour the knowledge in! It is God who opens one's eyes of understanding, and it is God who causes their minds to be enlightened so that they understand who this God is. It is God who causes them to understand the true riches of their inheritance in Him, and what the exceeding greatness of His power toward them.
I think that we have a tendency to take this understanding for granted. If God has opened our eyes to understand the truths of His Word, we often cannot understand why people of the world just do not get it. However, apart from the miraculous working of God in their lives, their eyes are blind to the truth. And, blind is blind! The truth exists right in front of them and all around them, but they cannot see.
Let us actively share Christ with all of our friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances, but let us also bathe them in prayer. Unless God opens their blind eyes, all of our words and attempts at persuasion will come to nothing.
It is God who saves! Go to Him and pray for every single lost person you know! Let us, as children of God, not be ignorant to the reality of God's greatness and power. Let us, instead, have the spirit of wisdom, knowing that everything successful thing we have ever and will ever do is through the grace and power of God working in us. And, let us thank God for what He, alone, has done in our lives!
What an amazing God we serve, and we have access to Him 24/7!
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