Tag: Ephesians 2:10
The Marvelous God Who Formed Us
Scripture reading for September 23: Psalm 139:13-18 “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they are more than the sand. I awake and I am still with You.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
King David wrote this psalm in honor and worship of the God Who had formed him in his mother’s womb. David acknowledged that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. God did not make junk! Although man could not see or know the forming process, God saw to each detail and He alone is in charge of the secret process of forming an eternal soul with a human body.
Not only did God form each person, but He also planned and ordered the days of our existence on earth before we were even born! God has carefully thought about each person and has plans for their lives and where they live. In fact, David notes that if we could count God’s thoughts about us, they would outnumber the sand grains of the earth!
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians, repeated the same thought as he told the church that all believers are God’s ‘workmanship’. The Master Creator also does amazing new creation when we repent and believe on Jesus Christ. God has good works for each believer. They simply walk in them as they follow Jesus. Our amazing Lord will finish the work He has begun in us.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the amazing workmanship in giving us new life through faith in Jesus Christ. Lead me each day to complete the works that You have prepared for me. May my thoughts line up with Your thoughts about me. Amen.
Establish the Work of our Hands!
Scripture reading for September 16: Psalm 90: 10-12; 16-17 “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of Your anger, and Your wrath according to the fear of You? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” . . .Let Your work be shown to Your servants, and Your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
According to ancient sources, Moses wrote Psalm 90. Moses was called by God as the deliverer of God’s people and he led them under God’s direction out of bondage in Egypt, through the Red Sea, and received the tablets of God’s Law. He lived to be 120 years old and was strong and vigorous to the last. We don’t know in what period Moses wrote this psalm, but he would have been around 80 years old at Mt. Sinai.
Psalm 90 is a worship song that considered the shortness of human life on earth and our need to make the most of our time. Moses asked God to reveal His glorious power and works to His servants and to their children. His twice-repeated request was that God would establish the works of their hands. In other words, God would lead them to do His will and that through faith they would walk in the fullness God had promised. Moses understood their struggle with unbelief and the stubborn nature of God’s people. Even he would become angry and dishonor God, forfeiting his entrance into the promised land after 40 years.
The New Testament states that we are God’s ‘workmanship’. God has crafted each person and equipped them to do specific tasks to accomplish His will. If we are looking to establish the works of our hands, the best way is to walk in the works He has prepared for us by faith. God didn’t make a mistake. His workmanship is an eternal masterpiece!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the new creation of my heart. Lead me to do Your will with a generous heart. Amen.
A Word from the Lord!
Scripture reading for November 9: Acts 13-15
Wouldn’t it be nice to have God just send someone to tell you what He wants you to know? Have you ever had someone give you a word from the Lord that confirmed something the Lord had been showing you to do? Do you believe that God knows everything and wants to share some of His knowledge with you? These and other questions should set us thinking as we read today’s passages from Acts. God uses people to give words of knowledge and prophesy. Lets look at the principles for using these “words”.
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” “So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hand on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:1-3
In this account of the early church at worship and prayer, we find that the Holy Spirit used one of the prophets or teachers to give a word to Barnabas and Saul. This was not a directive word, but a confirming word. Note that the Holy Spirit had already called them to this work personally previous to this time. This word came during a time of corporate worship and the church obediently responded. They prayed more and fasted and then laid on hands and sent them off on the ministry journey laid out for them by the Holy Spirit. We find that God has prepared the “good works” and all we need to do is respond in obedience. (Ephesians 2:10)
When we get a word of knowledge or prophesy spoken over us, we must always test it in several ways. First, does it line up with what the Lord has been saying already to us? God doesn’t give second-hand mail! Second, does it line up with the Word of God and purposes stated in Scripture? Words must always agree with the written Word of God or at least not be in conflict with the revealed will of God. Next, is the Spirit in you in agreement with that word? Do others with the Holy Spirit agree and bear witness with the word? These tests are important before acting on a word.
God does truly direct His children and sometimes uses others to confirm to us a word. Mary and I experienced this when God spoke to us through two different people about having children in our old age! One of the words was written down and our son reminded us of it years later. It helped us confirm our direction and follow God’s leading! May the Lord direct your life each day by His Holy Spirit! May you learn to properly discern the will of God!