As I have been continuing to memorize, meditate on, engrave on my heart the passages from Ephesians 1 and 3, various words or phrases continue to evoke something—what? Interest? Certainly a sense that I must come to understand this—I’ve heard these words countless times in my life, but what is Paul trying to communicate here, really? What is true about God and God’s relationship to me through the work of Jesus? Today, the phrase surfaced repeatedly,
“according to the riches of his glory you may be strengthened in your inner being…” (3:16). Earlier, in 1:17, Paul refers to God as “the Father of glory” and in 1:18, “the riches of his glorious inheritance.” And from it come strength, power. This strength comes from the riches of God’s glory. What does this mean—God’s glory? And how does it confer strength? As I was contemplating, a line from the Chris Tomlin song, Everlasting God, came to mind: Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord…. God’s glory is known, understood, God’s glory is realized only in God’s presence.
My cell phone has a back cover that is made to rest on a charging dock by magnetics. It is a silly analogy, but it seems apt—it is drawn by a magnetic force and held securely there so that, over time, it will soak up all the power it needs to be useful again as an instrument for communication. For us, the only way to receive this power is by being in the presence of God; waiting in God’s presence. After sufficient time, we have tremendous power—a power put to work in Christ to raise him from the dead, and that same power at work in us, which can accomplish “abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.”
The interesting thing to me, however, is that all this power that was put to work in Christ, is for the church, his body, the fullness of him. All that is promised is followed by “with the saints,” or “for us who believe,” or “among the saints.” The fullness of Christ, of power, of God’s glory occurs in all its glory and power as the church—together. Wait. We have power to comprehend—with all the saints—what is the breadth and length and height and depth…the love that surpasses knowledge. Wait. With the saints. Power, love. It is in this way we are filled with all the fullness of God—know love, with the saints. God, by the power at work within us—not a power from above or another source, but that is at work, right now, within me, us—to accomplish more than we can imagine.
Something else that is interesting to me, today my husband wrote in his blog about waiting. http://howiesnyder.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/the-waiting-room/Though from a different perspective—it is in waiting that we hear God call our name (God from whom we take our name—3:15). How beautiful that as we wait, we hear God speaking the same thing. Now, that is love.
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