It is not enough to merely know who God is and be aware of the history of Jesus and His sacrifice. We must cultivate a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. This truth resonated deeply with Paul, igniting his commitment to defending and spreading this message to anyone who would listen. Throughout his ministry, Paul endured incredible hardships, as he recounts in 2 Corinthians 11: “I have toiled tirelessly, been imprisoned frequently, endured countless beatings, and faced death repeatedly.” (2 Corinthians 11:16)
So, what drove Paul to minister with such unwavering intensity, risking his life day after day? He reveals to the Ephesians that his fervor stems from a desire to help them – and all believers – experience the fullness of God’s blessings. Paul longed for those who heard the word to receive the boundless riches of God’s glory and to be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. His ultimate goal was for each person who embraced Christ to intimately know Him and follow Him with a faith firmly grounded and rooted in love.
Above all, Paul yearned for every chosen individual to truly grasp the immense gift they had received. He wanted us all to embrace the immeasurable breadth, length, height, and depth of the Lord’s love so that we might be filled to overflowing with the fullness of God. Paul, having personally tasted the richness of knowing the Lord, wanted to share this abundant experience with everyone he encountered.
In our own lives, we too can experience this richness by surrendering control to God and allowing Him to lead us. Similar to Paul’s journey, such faith comes at a cost. We will inevitably face trials and tribulations, grapple with unsettling questions, and encounter challenging emotions. We will taste the pain and sorrow that accompanies a life centered on others. Yet, in the end, we will also discover the extraordinary richness and fullness that result from inviting Christ Jesus to dwell within us and fill us to overflowing.God Bless You.
4 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom [l]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the [m]saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [n]forever and ever. Amen.
Walking With God 