Strong in His Love

    “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you
     with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home
     in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down
     into God’s love and keep you strong.”    Ephesians 3:16,17 
                                                                                                
I imagine you get as tired as I do of the spiritual battle and darkness that seems to regularly assault us, our families and those we care about. Recently I was pondering Ephesians 6 where we find the armor that God has given us to stand strong and bold against our foe the devil.  Then my mind drifted over to one of my favorite prayers in Ephesians 3.

Suddenly I knew that Paul’s Ephesian disciples were facing torment and trials and this prayer was meant to strengthen and encourage them.  He reminded them that they have access to our God’s infinite and glorious resources through the Holy Spirit who lived in them.  With the Spirit’s help, the more they trusted in Jesus, the more he would be present in them bringing with him all his authority, wisdom and power.  And they would discover the strongest weapon in the battle with evil, God’s love.  That love would keep them strong.

It is not armor or physical strength that they needed.  They, like you and I, need the presence and peace of Jesus in our hearts.  He has all authority, intimately knows us and has already won the battle with our mutual adversaries.  He brings all of that with him when we ask him to fill our hearts.
 
It’s not what we need to do to be strong, but in receiving what Christ has already done for us. As we focus on Jesus he will grow the roots of our hearts deep into God’s love, and we will overflow with his powerful love. God’s love will keep us strong, safe, peaceful, and so much more, in the skirmishes we inevitably will face.

Dear friends, may the Holy Spirit empower you with inner strength from the Lord’s unlimited resources.  May the Lord release his authority through you to spread more truth and love wherever you go. May you stand bold and confident in God’s love, and may you rejoice to see your prayers answered.  Amen.
Mary Sumner ~ May 19, 2025