Trust and Obey   

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Throughout the NT book of Ephesians, there are many good points to be made. But one thing stands out, one message of utmost importance. If you are in Christ, then you very special and very blessed. God is so good, and He always meets the needs of His people. We may not be wealthy in a worldly sense, but our needs are always abundantly met. As Psalm 37:25 says, “I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”
But notice what Paul said here in v3: God promises not just material blessings, but “every spiritual blessing.” He gives us blessings of far more value than mere material things.
V4-5 says we are God’s chosen people. Before Adam was created, before anything was created, “before the foundation of the world,” God decided ahead of time that He wanted children. He wanted us to belong to Him. And so He set in motion His plan to purchase us for Himself. He paid the ultimate price: He gave us His Son who, for our sakes became poor, so that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
God’s abundant spiritual blessings poured out upon us include such treasures as sacrificial love (Romans 5:1-8), unending joy (John 15:9-11), and peace so great it is beyond understanding (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7). As God’s children, we are of exceptional value and importance to Him, and we are so greatly blessed.
But perhaps you may be thinking, “I understand what the Bible says about what my life in Christ should be like, but for some reason, it’s just not working for me right now!” Let me suggest to you what that reason might be. If you’re not feeling all that special and blessed, it’s probably because you’re not living up to what God intended for you to be.
Look again at v4; God chose us to be what? “…that we should be holy and without blame before Him.” And look at v5; we’re supposed to be acting like what? Like “sons/children through Jesus Christ… according to the kind intention of His will.”
It is God’s will that you have a truly blessed life in Christ. But to have that, you must live according to His will and His way. As the song says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Do that, and you will indeed enjoy a very blessed life.

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