“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ” (Ephesians 3:16-19)
How do the afflicted walk in the fullness of God? It is a good question and I wish I had a quick and easy answer for you, but the truth is that sometimes it is all I can do to crawl in the minuscule things of God, much less to walk in His fullness.
Very often the daily battle of affliction gets in my way of being the better person I want to be, the more spiritual person I want to be. I seem to do better in my spiritual walk when I’m not constantly stubbing my toe on one affliction after another. True, I probably pray more when affliction is worse, but I also get moodier, angrier, less patient, more frustrated, and generally “less spiritual.”
If it all depended upon me, I’d be a spiritual wreck. Thankfully it doesn’t all depend upon me or you, we are not facing life and the particular obstacles of affliction alone, we face challenges, difficulties, and this horrible business called affliction with the Lord beside us. It is His goodness, His mercy, His kindness, and His fullness that enables us to walk spiritually rather than just crawling in the dust of affliction.
Walking in the true fullness of God is walking in the knowledge that Jesus is the Lord of our life, His Spirit dwells in us, He comforts us in affliction. Because He is, we live, we breath, we love, and have a life worth living that does not depend upon how good or bad we are feeling, but upon how good He is and who He is and that we are His.
Rest in the fullness of God through knowing the person Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of everyone who calls upon His name. When we fall down, too often our focus is upon our inabilities rather than His helping hand that is there to lift us up. When we turn our eyes upon Him, and turn our hearts toward Him, we become better than we are, greater than our afflictions, because we know the One who has given everything for us. Jesus is the fullness of God, and we live in fullness when we live in Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to keep our eyes upon You, and not upon our weaknesses and inabilities. Fill our lives to the full with Yourself. Amen.
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About the Author:
Karlton Douglas lives in Ohio with his lovely wife. God has give him the fullness of life through Christ Jesus.
You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com
Do you feel that your affliction drags down your spiritual life? Have you tried focusing upon Jesus when you feel down about yourself?
Karlton,
This is my favorite verse of scripture, so I was pleased to see it as part of today’s devotion. Just yesterday, I was feeling so sad because I was having such a hard time walking, felt so clumsy as it seemed I dropped everything and I just plain hurt all over. This has been going on for over two weeks now and I can’t get into the doctor until December. It seems I am waiting to get all my tests done and get some conclusive results and hopefully some sort of treatment. What really made me mad at myself was that someone I knew got a wonderful report that she was now cancer free. I felt happy for her but then I got mad at my situation which doesn’t seem to have a feel good ending. I thought of these verses in Ephesians and asked the same question you suggested…..”How do I walk in the fullness of God when I am feeling so lousy?” I also have been reading up on humility. Perhaps walking in the fullness of God and humility is the answer. I once learned that humility is knowing who we are in the eyes of God. You wrote some of that in the devotion. I can still be a whole person despite my affliction if I can let myself see me as God sees me. With that, I can still reach out and serve others, even it means having eye contact with someone who seems to be down and adding a smile as I passed by. I was hobbling around Walmart this morning and someone passed by me and looked directly at me and I returned his hello with a nod and a smile. I hope he needed a smile.
Margaret, thank you for sharing. I pray God will bless you.
Blessings.
Karlton
Karlton, I love this verse. I am going to post it on facebook with a Happy Thanksgiving. I to have so much never ending pain, and many other issues. It has been going on for months, for years. I am at the point of asking God if I could just go home. Somehow, I manage to get through a few minutes, then a few more, then half an hour and so on it goes. Also am only able to get 1-3 hours sleep at a time, I have sleep related issues, so no restorative rest. Your devotions are a highlight of this site, always encouraging me to move forward and lifting my spirits. I’m beginning to recognize it’s you now as I read. You have wonderful insights. So your pulpit is very effective, reaching hundreds and hundreds with all your encouragements and knowledge of the Word. Thank you brother, looking forward to our eternal conversations. May God bless you richly, Carolyn :<)
Thank you for the very kind words Carolyn. I’d like to think the hard situations we go through enable us to help and encourage others, if so it gives meaning to our suffering. Very sorry to hear you suffer so much pain. I pray the Lord will heal and comfort you.
Blessings.
Karlton
Karlton, thank you for a gentle but powerful reminder of God’s grace and mercy in my life. I especially related to your comments regarding lost patience and communion with Him when I am most in need of Him: in times of greatest distress. After the greater crisis has passed I always recall His presence and love but how much better and more profitable to turn my eyes and heart to Him in the moment.
Thank you again for your wise counsel. It is just what I needed today to live in the fullness He designed for me.
Thank you for your kind words Cynthia. Communion with God gives us peace in the storm of affliction. I pray you live in His fullness.
Blessings.
Karlton