Verse of the Day 5/17

Through the Bible - 1 Kings 12-13, Matthew 9:1-17

 

Good morning,

This morning, among other passages I read Ephesians 1:18 and was reminded of the praise song "Open the Eyes of My Heart".

 

Ephesians 1:18 (Amplified Bible)By having the eyes of your heart  flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

We may, no, we will face times of uncertainty and its at these times that we need to have the "eyes of our hearts" flooded with light, that we may see Him.  We need to see Him as our comfort, our strength, our shield and deliverer.  The verse says that our eyes are to be opened to know and understand "the hope" to which he has called you.

 

Hope is truly one of the greatest blessings.  I see it personified in my son Jeff, whose motto is "hope is my favorite thing to have".  He lives it, he passes it on with joy in his heart and a smile (sometimes a smirk) on his face.

 

Today's "Tabletalk" devotional pointed out that "hope is another word for "confident anticipation", and it has both objective and subjective aspects.  Objectively we have a hope that exists outside ourselves - Christ will surely return to reign over all.  .... Subjectively, hope is the inward confidence we have that we will participate in the benefits of the objective, future reality.  The Holy Spirit's work involves giving us this subjective hope, and Paul prays for this in Ephesians 1:18-20."

 

 We'll close with today's verse from Psalm 27 where David conveys these same feelings and encourages us today to "wait on the Lord", may we do so in hope, in confident anticipation.

 

Psalm 27:13-14 (Amplified Bible) [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living!

    ¹⁴Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 27:7-14 (English Standard Version)

 ⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
   be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸You have said, "Seek my face."My heart says to you,
   "Your face, LORD, do I seek."

 ⁹ Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
   O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
¹⁰For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
   but the LORD will take me in.

 ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD,
   and lead me on a level path
   because of my enemies.
¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
   for false witnesses have risen against me,
   and they breathe out violence.

 ¹³I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the LORD!