“So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:13-19
How do we walk through this life without losing heart? Facing our own suffering or that of those around us, coping with disappointment or anxiety or fear. There is so much that can pull us down and cause our hope to fade. It can be a fight to keep our head up…and so often we feel too weak to try.
I think these verses hold great insight into how we hold fast to our hope. It is found in the love of God. That steadfast love which upholds us. Perfect love that drives out fear. Because while it does not guarantee a life that looks the way we expect, it does guarantee that the Almighty God who created all things will be with us, strengthening us and pouring out grace for each moment.
His love for us is written all over the pages of Scripture, and it is His Spirit that makes those words come alive in us. So run to Him. Seek out His promises. Ask God to strengthen you with His power so that you can comprehend and know this love that surpasses knowledge. Ask Him to reveal the depth and power held in the truth of His Word. He wants you to know His faithfulness. He wants you to seek His face and trust in the steadfastness of His love. Because He wants to show you that He will not let you down.
Lord, help us here. Strengthen us to know Your love, the breadth and length and height and depth, so that we trust You in all things. Uphold us when our foot slips. Be the lifter of our head. Be our light, our strength, and our song. Remind us that our hope is in Christ, and that hope will not fail. You are who You say You are, and You will fulfill every promise to us. God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of Your Holy Spirit we may abound in hope.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” Psalm 27:14
In Pleasant Places 