Monday, May 2, 2016

I Hope to See You

Continuing to unpack Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:17:

The revelation of the knowledge of Jesus leads to,
"having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you 
may know what is the hope to which he has called you."

Hope. We bat that word around. "I hope to see you soon,"
but that may or may not happen. We use it as desire.
Scripture gives a far different picture of hope.

How is this word depicted in scripture?
'in what do I wait? My hope is in you.' Ps 39:7
'now hope that is seen is not hope' Rom 8:24
'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' Col 1:27
'hold fast the confession of our hope' Heb 10:33
'to be born again to a living hope' 1Pt 1:3

Hope is tied into promise:
'Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for he who promised is faithful.' Heb 10:23

To whom or to what does hope lead?
'...waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the
glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all 
lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for 
his own possession who are zealous for good works.'

Hope purifies
...but we know that when he appears we shall be like 
him because we shall see him as he is. And everyone 
who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 
1Jn 3:3.

Over the years, I have put my hope in the tangible,
the seen, rather than the unseen--and disappointment
follows. Reader, in what or in whom is your hope? I
encourage you to pray Eph 1:17-22 over yourself and
your loved ones. How desperately we need--

A FAR GREATER REVELATION OF OUR LORD.




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