My various XM radios, the one by this computer from where I manage my two channels and the one in my van, regularly play enLighten. However, due to the myriad of details related to my work, it’s generally more of a background listening. Yet, every once in a while, a song will grab my attention. Such was the case a few days back when I was drawn to the Karen Peck & New River song, Ephesians One. Of course, it’s played on enLighten maybe a hundred or more times previously but on this occasion, it reached out to me – causing me to pause and reach for my Bible and read Paul’s actual letter. In doing so, these verses jumped out at me:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Of course, this is not the entirety of what’s included in what we call Chapter One of Paul’s letter to the collection of believers at Ephesus. Instead, I chose to extract what I consider to be “the meat” of his message as it relates to you and me who live in this challenging, dark world two thousand years after those words were written.
Now … I invite you to take a few more moments to read the lyrics of the song based on these verses. Ephesians One was written by John Darin Rowsey and Karen Peck Gooch and sung by Karen Peck & New River, and is on the CD of the same name.
In the middle of the battle when all that really matters
Is a place where I can find relief
I even start to wonder if the stress I’m under
Is turnin my joy into grief
I’ve been beat down, backed down, found myself on the ground
Thought I would lose my mind
Then I opened up the Bible and found I could rely on
Ephesians chapter one.I don’t mean to sound proud
’cause you know I’ve been down
When the struggle almost took me out
But I found that God was workin in the middle of the hurtin
So I trust him and I don’t have a doubt
That His fear takin’, way makin’ chsain breakin’ life changin’
Power’s gonna see me through
So I’m never gonna worry, even when He doesn’t hurry
‘Cause I know what the Lord can do.God says I’m blessed, I’m chosen, I’m adopted I’m favored
Redeemed, yeah, I’m forgiven
Makes me wanna sing, I’m a child of the king and now I’m a really livin’
By the blood of the Lamb, I know who I am
God said it and it’s already done
When the devil comes in, I remind him again
Of Ephesians chapter one.I open up my Bible and I know I can rely on Ephesians Chapter One!
May these words provide strength, guidance, support and comfort as you travel the road the Lord has set for you to follow in the days ahead.
Marlin
