Week forty-nine

December  8-15

Ephesians 1:15-23

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

This day, my firstborn graduates from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a pilot and a tender soul all wrapped in one amazing man. He is 6 feet 5 inches of mostly teddy bear. He gives the best hugs. But you can be sure he will tell you straight what is right and wrong. As engineers have reputations for being precise to a fault, pilots have reputations for being staunchly black and white about issues. And if you think about it, you wouldn’t want it any other way. “Should I turn right? No, Left. Um, no let’s go right” wouldn’t work very well in split second decisions pilots must make. Greg is no exception. I admire his strength and his sensitivity at the same time, and today I celebrate his accomplishments and who he has become as a man and as my precious son. I will try to post some pictures later in the week when we get back home. Meanwhile, Boomama is hosting the Christmas Tour of Homes this week, so don’t miss that today. I couldn’t let one of our final weeks pass by without a cover to cover post, which Bev has so graciously and faithfully sponsored this year. Check out others posts as we wrap up a year in His Word.

This week, Paul’s faithful diligence lingers in his never tiring crusade for the sake of Christ Jesus. He endures every possible persecution yet never wavers from a very black and white understanding of who Christ is and how He came to change the world one soul at a time. And, if our eyes of our hearts are fully open, we would understand the love of Christ in His revelation and Gift, as deeply as Paul.

I love this prayer above in Ephesians for a number of reasons. It is the prayer if you ever want to pray over me that I would appreciate most. It covers all the bases. It is what “annie’s eyes” is about, I pray. The eyes of our hearts. Annie’s Eyes aren’t the dimming, aging eyes of my physical self, but the understanding of my heart, which grows in Him, by the power of His Spirit, thanks be to God, as He graciously grants it.

It is my prayer for you as we approach the final pages of Scripture in our study. Because of your faithfulness to His Word, the Holy Spirit has strengthened your spiritual eyes in knowledge and in a love that could only come from Him. I pray for not just enlightenment, and even against vain knowledge which only puffs up, but for the remainder of the promises offered in these verses: “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” The HOPE to which He has called you…the RICHES of His glorious INHERITANCE…and HIS INCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER for those of us who believe in Him. May your deepest heart’s desires be found complete in Him.

My love to each of you,

Annette