Know His HOPE and Find His JOY

           Have you had your Joy Juice today?  I hope and pray that you have! It leads to abundant joy!

            Let’s look again at the prayerful words of Paul in Ephesians 1:18: “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.” 

              Why does Paul pray for the Ephesian Christians to "know the hope" of their calling?  In the words of Boyd Bailey: “Hope facilitates faith. It produces love. It takes the allure out of temptation. It comforts sorrow and anticipates answered prayer. Hope is heaven’s reminder to remain faithful for there is much more beyond this life. Hope lives obedient in the present and trusts God with the future. Paul knew if they cherished hope their praise and worship of the Lord would be uninhibited and full of glory. Like a microscope, hope sees the Spirit at work in minute ways and like a telescope, hope is able to focus on the vastness of God’s handiwork.”

            Do you know that kind of “hope” for which God has called you?  He truly desires to enlighten the eyes of your heart so that you will grow deeper in your understanding of what wonderful, abundant, joyful things are in store for you….."the riches of his glorious inheritance" (as Paul describes it to the Ephesians.)

            Open the eyes of your heart and see the hope you have in God…which leads to "indescribable, glorious joy!"  (1 Peter 1:8)