Hope: As It Is in Heaven, So Be It on EarthSample

Welcome to day 1 of our devotional series, where we'll dive into the theme of Hope.

This week’s Scripture is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23, and today, we focus on verses 15 and 16. Paul writes:

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:”

Have you ever been in a conversation where someone is so excited about something that he or she keeps on talking and talking, and you are so drawn into the story that you find yourself almost holding your breath on his or her behalf?

Well, Paul begins his sentence with the word "Therefore", which connects WHAT he is about to say to his previous sentence. And in the original language, the previous sentence starts in verse 3 and goes all the way to verse 14. One long sentence where Paul, full of excitement, praises God for what He has done for us in Christ.

Throughout this series, we will often use the term "behold". To behold is more than just seeing; it's to observe, ponder, and perceive. In a sense, Paul is doing this in verses 3 to 14: He is beholding Jesus Christ – pondering what God has done in Christ. And when we behold Christ, we discover that we are called to be a people of faith, love, and hope.

Paul continues his prayer in the verses we read by giving thanks to God for the faith and love in the lives of his readers. Later in the prayer, he prays for them to grow in hope. Paul refers to faith, love, and hope several times in his letters, and he refers to it as a sign of a person’s maturity. However, personal maturity is not a goal in itself. The larger calling is to reflect God’s glory into our world: that is our homes, places of work, and communities by bringing faith, love, and hope to people and societies.

And for Paul, the starting point to grow and hope is to behold Jesus Christ. One of the ways we behold Jesus is in prayer. Thanking Him for the impact He has already made and praying for things that God has already blessed us with in Christ in order to grow. Things like faith, love, and hope. We are focusing on hope but remember the bigger purpose.

So, we pray with Paul: Father, we praise you as we behold Christ. In Christ, you blessed us with so much: to belong to you and your family, to be forgiven, to share in your purposes for our world, to be indwelt by your Spirit. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the work you have already done in me. Help us to continue to grow in faith, love, and hope as we behold You. In your name, we pray. Amen.