Ephesians 1.7-10 (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 Psalm 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 Ephesians 1.1-10; meditate on verse 10.
Focus on “gather together” (NKJV). What does that mean? What does it entail, look like? Where are you in that mix? What does this “gathering together” mean for you?
Preparation
1. When is God making known all these glorious spiritual blessings?
2. What is His goal in so doing?
Meditation
We are living in what are variously referred to as “the last days” (cf. Acts 2.14-17) and “the fullness of the times” (cf. Gal. 4.4-6). These phrases indicate both urgency (“last”) and bounty (“fullness”) for a particular work, God’s work of gathering into one all things in heaven and on earth.
That word, ἀνακεφαλαιόω (anakephalaioo ), means “to bring everything together in terms of some unifying principle or person—to bring together” (Louw and Nida). We know what is being gathered and unified and made as one entire whole—everything that exists, both on earth and in the heavens. And we know to Whom or under Whose authority it is all being gathered—Jesus Christ, for of Him and through Him and unto Him are all things (Rom. 11.36). And we know Who is doing this amazing work—God Himself.
But that leaves us asking, How? How is God doing this work? Bringing everything under the rule and authority of Jesus in complete beauty, goodness, and truth? We who ask this question are its answer. God is sending us to restore the world Jesus has reconciled by His life, death, and resurrection, that all things might be made new and good unto the praise of the glory of God’s grace. This is our calling, and we work at it every day by attending faithfully and with joy to all the small stuff of our lives, that God may be glorified in it (1 Cor. 10.31).
But now, as the writer of Hebrews would say, we don’t yet see this happening (Heb. 2.8). But we see Jesus (Heb. 2.9), and the more we see of Him and become like Him, the more we will gather up the all things of our lives and offer them daily to Him.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
[not neglecting to gather together, CSB]
as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another,
and so much the more
as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10.24, 25).
So much of life is merely a practice run for eternal life in the new heavens and the new earth.
We are learning now how to worship and serve God,
we are learning how to gather together with other saints to praise Him,
we are learning to be as one, as God is One (Deut. 6.4; Jn. 10.30).
We think that this life is the big show. This is it. This is as good as it gets.
But if we think that, we are gravely mistaken.
God will one day, when this world has run its course, gather together everything—in one—all things in Christ. It is all about Him and His glory. His majesty. His power. His reign and rule; and our adoration of Him. And appreciation and love.
“Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away, and
His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed…
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and
all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Dan. 7.14, 27).
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come” (2 Thess. 2.1, 2). It has not come, but it will! And when Jesus comes again to gather together His saints, we will not miss it.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them [Gathered]
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4.16, 17).
Practice now for the perfect later.
Reflection
1. What will you “gather” today to bring under the gracious rule of King Jesus?
2. What are some ways we can keep focused on Jesus throughout the day?
3. Whom will you encourage today with the promise that Jesus is coming again to gather us to Himself?
The meaning appears to me to be, that out of Christ all things were disordered, and that through him they have been restored to order. And truly, out of Christ, what can we perceive in the world but mere ruins? We are alienated from God by sin, and how can we but present a broken and shattered aspect? The proper condition of creatures is to keep close to God. Such a gathering together (ἀνακεφαλαίωσις) as might bring us back to regular order, the apostle tells us, has been made in Christ. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians 1.10
Pray Psalm 34.4-9.
Seek the Lord. Seek the beauty and the face of Jesus in prayer. Cry to the Lord for strength to bring all things together unto Jesus today. Praise the Lord for all His good spiritual blessings.
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
Our book, Small Stuff, can help you in bringing all your stuff together unto the Lord. Order a copy in book form or as a free PDF.
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: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we are looking at grace, which is the currency we use to make our way in the divine economy. In our Read Moore podcast this week, we continue our readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds the saint preparing for his second voyage to visit The Promised Land of the Saints. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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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.
