15^th September 2011

SEEDS FOR HARVESTING 6/31

Eph. 1:17
"Asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding."

Note that Paul is asking God the Father
not Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
It is God who is the giver "of every good and perfect gift".
Yes, Jesus did say "ask in My name".
This does not mean that Jesus is the source of these gifts.
He is saying that we must use His name
to gain access to the Father.

Down through the centuries
we have continually sought after titles to describe God
but these never seem quite adequate.
Yet what a wonderful name is this for our God:
He is truly "the glorious Father".

Paul is going further when he says,
"glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ".
Jesus, at the end of His ministry prayed,
"Father glorify me in your presence, with the glory I had from you".
That is where He came from and where He returned to
"the glorious Father".

The request is that the "glorious Father"
will give us "spiritual wisdom and understanding".
As God's people we earnestly need "wisdom and understanding",
but it must be "spiritual".
These insights come from the
glorious Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.
If we try to gain them by any other means
they will not be "spiritual"
as they would not have come from the Triune God.

Paul prays "That the eyes of your heart might be enlightened".

Bob Imms 21.8.11