This is a phrase from our scripture passage in our PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel, a ministry to Protestant military wives) Bible study this spring. I first encountered it when I first encountered Christ and had a very real experience with Him when I was 24. I will never forget that day when the skies seemed to part and God's presence dawned on me in a very real way.
Isn't that amazing, that God would introduce Himself to me and use this passage from Ephesians 3:14-21 to let me know who He was? He is that God to whom all glory and honor is due, and who is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than all we could ever ask or imagine! Just look at the two words "exceedingly" and "abundantly" - full of extravagance and lavishness! God is that kind of God who does not withhold His power on those who would receive it.
Too bad that those who know Him not cannot understand or experience that wonder. Don't get me wrong, I believe that if you want to experience Him, you can. In His time, and that is the wonder of His grace that lavishes us before we recognize Him. That's what happened to me. I experienced the wonder and amazement of being aware of His abundant presence and then I realized it was Him. The one I had longed for had reached out to touch my life.
It has been a journey ever since to reach out and take hold of Him and all He is, as well as the abundance that comes with knowing Him. I am currently trying to take hold of His vastness as I deal with a struggle in my life that has plagued me for literally decades. Now He in His lavishness is encouraging me to reach out to Him and all that He is, and believe that He is amazingly able to transform what has been a futile situation up to this point.
Look up the passage and see what God is telling you through it. Paul prayed it for the Ephesians because they had to understand the vastness of our God. In a world that is literally decaying, we need to grasp the vastness and the holy love of God as we go forward in our lives.
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