Every Spiritual Blessing
For the last two mornings, I’ve read and re-read Ephesians 1:1-14. Many who have studied the book of Ephesians say that it is full of “gold nuggets,” not literal nuggets of gold but nuggets of spiritual truth, inspired by the Holy Spirit as the apostle Paul wrote this letter. In verses 1-14, starting with verse 3, Paul enumerated many of those “nuggets.”
He first wrote a praise of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he stated that God the father has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The “in Christ” means that we believe Jesus is our Savior and Lord. Non-believers (or pre-believers as they are sometimes called) cannot receive those blessings. They are reserved for those who believe in Jesus. God does bless non-believers, but not with the spiritual blessings Paul wrote about in this passage.
But think about, seriously think about what Paul wrote. Use your mind and your heart to contemplate the fact that we’ve been blessed with “every spiritual blessing in Christ.” It’s a fact! It’s not a myth, it’s not a hope, it’s not a wish or a lie. It is truth, God’s truth, which is “living and powerful” (NKJV) as the writer of Hebrews 4:12 wrote. The apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:3 that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a “godly life” (NIV). That includes all the blessings Paul listed in Ephesians 1 and much more.
My encouragement to you is to read through the blessings Paul wrote about, that we have “in Christ.” Read them over and over. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind and your heart as you read them. Ask Him to implant them in your heart. And meditate on them, think about them a lot, even every day. They will help you understand more and more how much God loves you and who you are in Christ.
Why is my website named Yucca-network? Almost everywhere my wife and I lived, there were Yucca plants of some variety, even when we lived in northern Montana. In one place we lived, our house was built into a hillside where there were many yucca plants. The name of our street had “Yucca” in it. The plant is resilient, adaptable, and hard to get rid of if you don’t like it. For some reason, it has become one of my favorite plants. Along with writing, I’m also an artist who likes to draw or paint pictures of yucca plants. I recently acquired a painting that my maternal grandmother painted when she was probably in her 90s. It’s a desert scene with several yucca plants in it. It’s a treasured possession.
In my research into the different varieties of the yucca plant, I discovered Yucca whipplei (aka Hesperoyucca whipplei). It grows mostly in the southwestern United States. One of its common names is “our Lord’s candle.” That name intrigued me. According to what I learned from my research, it’s towering, flame-like, white inflorescence (flower cluster) “glows like a divine beacon.” Thus, the term “candle.”
A candle, when lit, produces light. I am an ardent believer in the Bible, God’s Word. I’ve read through it many times and studied it for many years. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 119:105 which states, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (NIV). God’s word shows us how to live our lives according to His will and plans for our lives. Another of my favorite verses is Hebrews 4:12. It states that God’s word is “living and powerful.” As I’ve read and studied the Bible seriously and intensely for over forty years, I can testify that my life has been literally and dramatically changed, for the better. My late wife would also testify to the changes that have taken place in me. It’s my prayer that every person would read and study God’s word. People in other parts of the world are begging to have their own Bible.
So, to me, “our Lord’s candle” is a symbol of God’s word. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1 that God’s divinity and power can be seen in His creation. Yucca whipplei is one of His many creations.
Uncommon Grace.
A story of adventure, drama and romance
“Disillusioned and angry at God for what happened to his family during the Civil War, young Frank Duncan leaves his home in rural Georgia to escape the memories and find his own way in life. Though wise in some ways, he encounters many challenges that shake his own personal confidence and his belief in God. What will he find as he travels to Texas and beyond?”
It is available on as an eBook or paperback 0n Amazon.com (Amazon.com: Uncommon Grace eBook : Taylor, Lamar: Kindle Store). If you read it, please add a review to the Amazon site. Thank you.
Hi! I’m Lamar Taylor
For 20 years, I worked in several western states as a Rangeland Management Specialist, overseeing livestock grazing on Public and Forest lands.
At 44 years of age, my wife (she was a science teacher) and I left our jobs and went to Bible college for two years. We were pastors and assistant pastors for several years, all in the western US.
