2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (Ephesians 2:1-4 ESV)
The second chapter of Ephesians starts off by describing the hopelessness of mankind before Christ. None of us could truly know what it was like to live B.C. (as in the point in time, not time of our conversion). Thankfully, verse 4 starts out with “BUT GOD…”!
It doesn’t matter how bad your life or your circumstances are: there is always hope! Just think about all the in-Christ-realities and all the promises of God. Think about who you are in Christ. How can you not have hope with these truths in mind? Do you need a job or healing? Maybe you’re lonely or in need of some companionship? Maybe you have been abused, misused or taken advantage of, and you feel there is no hope for a better tomorrow? Maybe your marriage feels like it is cold and dying? Are you facing financial ruin? Maybe you’ve given up on receiving that healing after trusting God for it for so long and seeing no results? It doesn’t matter how bad the situation is: with Jesus there is always hope.
WITH JESUS THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!
There may be a few storms on your horizon. The clouds may look thick and dark, and that is why you should never forget this: “But God”… Paul writes about mankind’s hopelessness, but he doesn’t leave it there. He jumps into the glorious solution by saying, “but God”!
Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 ESV)
There is always hope!
What situations are you currently facing that are making you feel hopeless? No matter how insignificant they may seem you can cast your cares upon the Lord for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Complete the following sentence, personalizing it to your situation, and say it out loud:
“This seems hopeless: ______________________ BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! I’M NEVER WITHOUT JESUS; THEREFORE I’M NEVER WITHOUT HOPE!”
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us” (Ephesians 2:4 WNT)
Isn’t that a beautiful description of God’s love for us? “Because of His intense love”… The Mirror Bible puts it like this (brackets mine):“None of this (our ‘unloveliness’ and sin) could distract from the extravagant love of God; He continued to love us with the exact same intensity.”
The word ‘intense’ means ‘extreme’. God loves you much more than is necessary! The Word ‘extravagant’ means ‘lavish’ or ‘over the top’. This is exactly how our Father loves us! His love for you goes beyond any expectation and seems completely over the top. You could never fully know how much your Father loves you! “…His love was not cautious but extravagant…” (Ephesians 5:1, The Message)
God showed us how He loves us by sending Jesus to rescue us from sin and the kingdom of darkness (1 John 3:16). Romans 8:32 (TLB) says, “Since he did not spare even his own Son for us but gave him up for us all, won’t he also surely give us everything else?” God’s great love for you has provided for any need you could ever have. Focus on God’s love for you and see His provision for your seemingly hopeless situation. With Christ in your life you are never without hope!
This is an exert from my devotional book, “I Am.” To obtain a copy of the book please feel free to contact me at shaynebh@gmail.com
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