Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Hope of Glory

God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27, HCSB

Strengthen us by Your Spirit, Lord,
To know the love of Christ;
To trust Your faithful mercies,
In the darkness and the light.

Empower us with Your presence, Lord,
To pray, “Your will, not mine;”
To forgive when we are wounded;
To find strength for every thorn.

Dependent on Your grace, we come;
Father, fill us with Your life.
May Your Holy Spirit make us more like You.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole 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 saints, 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 (Ephesians 3:14-21, NIV1984).



In response to Ann's invitation to contribute thoughts on a Christ-centered life, it seems good to begin by remembering that only a Christ-filled life, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, can be a Christ-centered life. For other contributions to the discussion, please click below:

...and keeping company with the folks at Emily's:

14 comments:

  1. Your poem flows beautifully--the language and the truth. What a perfect reflection of the scriptures you share. May you enjoy the Hope of Glory today--I know your thoughts here have sent me on a good start!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Amy Thank you, friend. The flow probably reflects its original purpose as a song lyric attempting to distill the theme Scriptures for a retreat.

    May you also enjoy the Hope of Glory today!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The lady that fell was changing the Church Sign...I should have added that in for irony.

    Thanks T.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Did you write that? Wow. It is both beautiful and meaningful. Yes, we are dependent upon his Spirit indwelling in us to live a Christ-filled life. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Old Ollie Yes, that would detail would be a good addition! You're welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Lisa notes... Yes, ma'am, I did. Thank you for coming over and your kind feedback. You're welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  7. you write a wonderful and beautiful truth...asking him into each part, and not holding back that which we want to still control...

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Brian Miller That "not holding back" part, that's the simple but difficult need, isn't it? Thank you for your visit and response.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Both of those scripture passages were profound encouragement to me during the weeks leading up to my father's death. I couldn't believe the way you paired them here. God's word continues to surprise me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Nancy Nancy, please accept my condolences on the loss of your father, even if it was many years ago. May the Lord bring fresh comfort for every fresh grief.

    We will never exhaust the treasures and surprises of God's Word, praise to Him. I'm thankful He worked through me to encourage you with one.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Kati patrianoceu Oh, Kati, I'm so glad to hear that, and I'm glad you came. I need grace like water, so I love it, too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. oh, i find such encouragement in this post... thank you, dear friend. may we all be empowered by his strength...

    ReplyDelete
  13. @emily wierenga You're welcome, and thank you for the feedback. Amen, we need His strength!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.