Bible League: Living His Word His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.— Ephesians 3:10 NIV Our God is a God who reveal things. For one, He reveals His wisdom. It's a "manifold wisdom" that has many parts and facets. Although He doesn't reveal every part and facet, although He's under no obligation to do so, He reveals a lot. It's clear, then, that He doesn't want to keep everything He knows to Himself. It's important to Him that His wisdom be made known. Indeed, that's why He's made it known at "many times and in various ways." (Hebrews 1:1). To whom does God reveal His wisdom? He reveals it to human beings. Although not every human being accepts the revelation of His wisdom, although many suppress His revelation (Romans 1:18), He reveals it nonetheless. No one will ever have the excuse of not knowing what has been revealed to them, however much that may be. (Romans 1:20). He also reveals it to the angels, the "rulers and authorities" of our verse for today. He doesn't just want human beings to know. He wants the angels to know as well. And, in point of fact, the angels want to know. Indeed, the Apostle Peter tells us that they "long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:12). They long to see the wisdom of God being revealed over the course of time. As mentioned, God's wisdom is a manifold wisdom. It includes the wisdom revealed in the creation, the wisdom revealed in the Bible, and the wisdom mentioned in our verse for today—the wisdom revealed in the church. God also reveals His wisdom to the angels through the church. The growth and development of the church reveals the wisdom of God. It reveals the outworking of His plan of salvation. The angels are watching. They long to look into these things because they're deeply interested. Indeed, they have a vested interest in the church. After all, they are ministering spirits. It's what they do. (Hebrews 1:14). No doubt, they long to look into these things to see if their efforts are bearing fruit, to see if they have helped us along the way. Today, then, let's not forget that the angels are watching. Today, let's look into the wisdom of the Lord. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingExodus 11, 12 Exodus 11 -- The Plague on the Firstborn NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Exodus 12 -- Passover; Feast; Memorial; Pharaoh Urges Exodus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 18:21-35 Matthew 18 -- Greatest and Least in the Kingdom; Parables of the Lost Sheep, Brother who sins, Unmerciful Servant NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.”Insight We may not fight an enemy army, but every day we battle temptation, pressure, and Satan, who wants us to rebel against God. Challenge Remember, as believers, we have God's Spirit in us. If we ask for God's help when we face struggles, God will fight for us. And God always triumphs. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Luke 2:18 All they that heard it wondered at those things.We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God. It would be very difficult to draw a line between holy wonder and real worship; for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God's glory, though it may not express itself in song, or even utter its voice with bowed head in humble prayer, yet it silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshipped as "the Wonderful." That God should consider his fallen creature, man, and instead of sweeping him away with the besom of destruction, should himself undertake to be man's Redeemer, and to pay his ransom price, is, indeed marvellous! But to each believer redemption is most marvellous as he views it in relation to himself. It is a miracle of grace indeed, that Jesus should forsake the thrones and royalties above, to suffer ignominiously below for you. Let your soul lose itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way a very practical emotion. Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of his dear Son, you will put off your shoes from off your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvellous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything, when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left after one has seen the Saviour? Dear reader, it may be that from the quietness and solitariness of your life, you are scarcely able to imitate the shepherds of Bethlehem, who told what they had seen and heard, but you can, at least, fill up the circle of the worshippers before the throne, by wondering at what God has done. Daily Light on the Daily Path Philippians 3:20,21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; • who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.Ezekiel 1:26-28 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. • Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. • As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Revelation 7:16 "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; Revelation 15:3 And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
    |