Have you ever experienced something so visually spectacular that in the moment you comment, “I just can’t take it all in?” Perhaps you were viewing Niagara Falls or The Grand Canyon and you were so taken by all that you were observing that you uttered such words. I had such an experience this Easter although I wasn’t staring at anything. It occurred when I was meditating on the cross of Jesus Christ. I sat and pondered His willingness to leave his throne in heaven, His willingness to make Himself “of no reputation” and come as a servant, His humble obedience to the point of death on a cross and I just kept thinking, “I just can’t take it all in.” I tried to ponder all that was communicated and accomplished through the cross, letting my mind consider as much as possible the depths of things like justification, righteousness, forgiveness, and redemption. I wrestled with how God could have such love for His fallen creation and the truth that before He saved us, we were indeed His enemies. I considered our Lord’s promises that He has gone to prepare a place for us and how we will be with Him for all eternity. I tried as much as possible to stare squarely in the face of my sin and reconcile how we were “reconciled to God through the death of His Son” and I just couldn’t take it all in.
This is why I think as Paul prayed for the Ephesian church:
“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23
As I consider these verses I note that even though Paul is praising God for the faith and love that can be found in this church, he knows that there is so much more about God that they have yet to take in.
Perhaps you have been a believer for a “long time” and you feel that you have “heard it all before”. I don’t doubt that you are familiar with God’s word. I don’t doubt that you haven’t heard “a million sermons”. I hope you are not discouraged because you feel your faith has no more truth to consume. Notice that Paul prayed for the Ephesian church because he knew that only God could allow “the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened” to the great truths of God.
May I suggest that we all pray that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened? I know we will never be able to “take it all in” but surely, by His grace and because of His mercy towards us, God can answer our prayer and reveal more of who He is to our yearning hearts.
For Him,
Rob
April 2, 2016