Saturday, May 9, 2026

Opening Scripture

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Opening Prayer

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Reflection  

Today’s passage is one of my all-time favorites! It’s a beautiful and powerful expression of the essence of the Christian life, and it acknowledges the role that each Person of the Godhead plays in our sanctification.

Paul is offering a prayer of intercession for the Ephesian Church. If you recall, he started this prayer yesterday morning at the beginning of Chapter 3, before he became distracted thinking about the marvelous mystery of Christ that was revealed to him and the weight of his responsibility to declare it.

Paul prays that these believers will continue to mature in their faith, with increased knowledge and understanding, strengthened with the Spirit’s power, being transformed by Christ’s presence in their hearts. Paul prays that this will happen, not in a limited fashion, but in abundance out of God’s glorious, inexhaustible riches.

Essentially, Paul wants these followers of Jesus to clearly see and embrace what is already present and available to them. The challenge is not that God’s love would be made accessible to them, but that they would grasp what is already there! Paul’s desire is that they “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

The more we experience Christ’s great love for us, the more amazed we are by it! And knowing “this love that surpasses knowledge” allows those who have historically been at odds with each other to be brought together as the Church.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

In 1951, a Presbyterian minister named Robert Boyd Munger wrote a book titled, My Heart Christ’s Home, based on Ephesians 3:16-17. Here are some excerpts from that classic work.

“Without question one of the most remarkable Christian doctrines is that Jesus Christ Himself through the presence of the Holy Spirit will actually enter a heart, settle down and be at home there. Christ will make the human heart His abode.”

“Our Lord said to His disciples, ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him’ (John 14:23). It was difficult for them to understand what He was saying. How was it possible for Him to make his abode with them in this sense?

“Then came Pentecost. The Spirit of the living Christ was given to the church and they understood. God did not dwell in Herod’s temple in Jerusalem! God did not dwell in a temple made with hands; but now, through the miracle of the outpoured Spirit, God would dwell in human hearts. The body of the believer would be the temple of the living God, and the human heart would be the home of Jesus Christ. It is difficult for me to think of a higher privilege than to make Christ a home in my heart, to welcome, to serve, to please, to fellowship with Him there.

“He has said, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ (Revelation 3:20). If you are interested in making your life an abode of the living God, let me encourage you to invite Christ into your heart and He will surely come.

“After Christ entered my heart and in the joy of this new relationship I said to Him, ‘Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show You around and introduce you to the various features of the home that you may be more comfortable and that we may have fuller fellowship together.’”

The author describes Jesus “settling in” and “making Himself at home.” Initially, all was well… but then Munger began to show the Lord around his “house.”

“The first room was the study – the library. Let us call it the study of the mind. Now in my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is an important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house. He looked around and as I followed His gaze, I became uncomfortable.

“I turned to Him and said, ‘Master, I know that this room needs a radical alteration. Will you help me make it what it ought to be? – to bring every thought into captivity to you?’ ‘Surely!’ He said. ‘Gladly will I help you.’ Munger threw out most of what was there and filled the empty shelves with the books of the Bible. Then he hung a full-size portrait of Jesus on the wall.

“From the study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites and desires. Now this was a very large room. I spent a good deal of time in the dining room and much effort in satisfying my wants. I said to Him, ‘This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve.’

“He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, ‘What is on the menu for dinner’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘my favorite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes.’ When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing about it. However, I observed that He did not eat it, and I said to Him, somewhat disturbed, ‘Master, don’t You care for this food? What is the trouble?’

“He answered, ‘I have meat to eat that you do not know of. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me. If you want food that really satisfies you, seek the will of the Father, not your own pleasures, not your own desires, and not your own satisfaction. Seek to please Me and that food will satisfy you.’

“We walked next to the living room. This room was rather intimate and comfortable. I like it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere. He also seemed pleased with it. He said, ‘This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together.’

“He promised, ‘I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together.’ So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible and we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold to me its truths.

“But, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. This was not intentional, you understand; it just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss a day now and then.

“I remember one morning when I was in a hurry, rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. As I passed the living room, the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, ‘He was my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as Lord of my home. And yet here I am neglecting Him.’

I turned and went in. With downcast glance, I said, ‘Blessed Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?’ ‘Yes,’ He said, ‘I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you.’ Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithlessness.

“‘The trouble with you is this: you have been thinking of the quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to me also. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship.’

“You know, the truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He loves me, wants me to be with Him, wants to be with me and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact.”

Munger goes on to describe his interaction with Jesus in the workroom (his ministry and service to others), the rec room (his activities and amusements), and the hall closet (dead and rotting things left over from his old life).

Eventually, Munger realizes that he is incapable of doing what needs to be done. In frustration, he finally declares, “I have been trying to keep this heart of mine clear for Christ. I start on one room and no sooner have I cleaned that then another room is dirty. I begin on the second room and the first room becomes dusty again. I am so tired and weary trying to maintain a clean heart and an obedient life. I am just not up to it!

“So I ventured a question: ‘Lord, is there any chance that You would take over the responsibility of the whole house and operate it for me and with me just as You did that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my heart what it ought to be and my life where it ought to be?’

“I could see His face light up as He replied, ‘Certainly, that is what I came to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength. That is impossible. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way.’

“He took my life that day and I can give you my word, there is no better way to live the Christian life. He knows how to keep it in shape and deep peace settles down on the soul. May Christ settle down and be at home in your heart as Lord of all!”

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!