Jesus in the Writings of Paul (6)
Pray Psalm 34.1-3.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together
Sing 34.1-3.
(Alleluia [Lowe]: Mighty God, While Angels Bless You)
I will bless the LORD at all times; I shall praise Him evermore!
My soul makes its boast in Jesus—Him we gladly all adore!
Refrain v. 3
Magnify the Name of Jesus! Let us lift His Name in praise!
Read 2 Cor. 4.13-15; Ep. 1.22, 23; 4.7-10; meditate on Eph. 4.7-10.
Preparation
1. What has the Lord given us? Why?
2. What is Jesus doing in His ascension? How?
Meditation
The Sanhedrin scolded Peter and John because they had “filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (Acts 4.28). Just as planned.
Ephesians 4.10 could not be clearer. Exalted in glory, ruling all things by His Word of power, Jesus intends to fill all things, and to fill them with Himself (Eph. 1.22, 23). I can think of no more compelling or clarifying way of envisioning our lives in Christ than this, that in all the moments of our lives, whatever we are doing, thinking, feeling, saying, or contemplating, Jesus might be the substance of it all, filling all things with Himself in and through our lives.
Here is what it looks like as Jesus fills all things in all things:
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway. Psalm 85.9-13
Let us pray for this, brethren, and work like it all depends on us.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.The prophet Elijah had just given the evil king Ahab some really bad news.
News, no doubt, that Ahab took poorly to.
And so poorly, that Elijah was going to be the recipient of his anger.
“Then the word of the LORD came to him [Elijah], saying,
‘Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’
So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook” (1 Kgs. 17.2-6).
A lot was riding on obedience.
What if the ravens had disobeyed God’s command?
Perhaps preferring not to share their found bounty with the prophet?
What if Elijah had disobeyed and gone to another brook?
Or maybe preferred to lodge in a different town with a restaurant and a bed?
What if the whole lot of them had thought they knew better than the Creator of the heavens, earth, animals, galaxies, people, oceans, and brooks?
We have been called, like the ravens and Elijah, to certain tasks “which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2.10). We have been given grace to spread.
Yeast spreads through dough to make it rise, butter spread generously on toast makes it tasty, and grace “having spread through the many” causes thanksgiving to abound and glory to be given to God (2 Cor. 4.15).
But we must be willing and obedient participants of this spreading. As with the ravens and Elijah, there is much joy and generous provision to be experienced through adherent obedience to God’s Word.
Done His way, and not ours.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, the “fullness of Him Who fills all in all” (Eph. 1.23).
It is our extreme privilege to be called to participate in His Kingdom work.
As our Bible teacher, Pat Hunter, used to say:
“Let us pray mightily, as the results all depend upon God; yet work like it all depends upon us.”
Obediently as the ravens and Elijah. Doing all in all, God’s way.
Reflection
1. In what ways are you seeing the grace of God spreading in your Personal Mission Field?
2. What will you do today to add more of Jesus there?
3. Whom will you encourage today to fill their world with Jesus in obedience to God’s Word?
Paul tells us that although [Jesus] is distant from us in bodily terms, he nevertheless fills all things by the power of his Spirit. Wherever the right hand of God is displayed, the spiritual presence of Christ is shed abroad, and he is present there by his boundless power. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians 4.7-10
Pray Psalm 34.4-9.
Give praise for Jesus, in all His beauty, righteousness, and power. Call on the Lord to fill you with His Presence today, and to enable you to be Jesus to your world.
Sing 34.4-9.
(Alleluia [Lowe]: Mighty God, While Angels Bless You)
When I sought the LORD, He answered and from fear delivered me.
Those who look to Him are radiant; shamed their face shall never be.
Refrain v. 3
Magnify the Name of Jesus! Let us lift His Name in praise!
When I cried to God, He heard me, and from trouble rescued me.
’Round their camp His angel lingers that they may delivered be.
Refrain
Taste and see how good is Jesus; blessed are all who in Him hide.
None shall lack for any blessing who in Christ will e’er confide.
Refrain
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our current ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” is dealing with the time of our livesand how we make more of this for the progress of Christ’s Kingdom. In our Read Moore column, we continue working our way through the book, Understanding the Times. And I encourage you to follow our Corsfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, nicknamed “The Navigator.” Join us and find out why. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
