Sunday Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6
Key Verse: Ephesians 1:4
4 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Devotion:
The more that you get to know people and the more that you think that you know them the more you seem to find out about them. If we ever give up on that seeking of knowledge about others then that is the point at which we close ourselves off from the world around us. It's amazing how we can get so tied up in things around us that we forget about the very things that are important in our lives; those things that are closest to us.
Jesus Christ came down to earth because of His great love for us. He is the one who chose to leave the absolute that is heaven (the only place in which there is no sin) so that He could save us from the sin that we find ourselves in. He is the one who chose this all to happen in the manner that it did and He is the one that has made this all possible in His own way and in His perfect timing. These are actually the things that are closest to us because He is the one who placed us here.
It is through His grace that we are able to be invited back to heaven with Him. It is through His love that we can experience His grace and mercy. It is because He has loved us first that this is all possible. How can we have the gall to turn any of that love away when He has offered it so freely to us all. We need to take a long slow look at the very people around us and see what God has given us so that we can know His great love for us – through that we can then know Him and His creation better so that we can serve Him as He wills.
Points to Ponder:
How do you treat those closest to you?
How do you treat God?