This Glorious Grace study has prompted me to study Ephesians like never before. And stretched this little brain to think beyond the surface, to dig past the "easy" verses and get to the grown-up stuff. Six little chapters, right?
Verse 12 of chapter 3 has caused me to stop in my tracks each day this week: "In Him and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence" (NIV). How exactly am I supposed to apply that? What exactly does that mean?
To 'get it', I must lower my adult understanding of how the world runs. My 7, 5, and 4 year old boys have demonstrated this since the day they were born and haven't been jaded out of that absolutely perfect childlike faith.
Confession Time: the Oval Office has always scared me. If I ever have the opportunity to go there, I am quite sure that I will trip over my own feet, spill a drink, spontaneously break out in hiccups, or open mouth-insert Shaq's feet (yup, that is plural-feet). I can not think of a more scary place to be than the office of the leader of the Free World.
Luke 18:17 tells us that "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it". I have no doubt that my boys would run--with reckless abandon--into the Oval Office or Buckingham Palace if their Daddy was sitting there. No stern looks from those statue-like guards or wide eyes from Secret Service agents in dark suits would stop them from confidently entering any space where he is. The man that they idolize, that they love with all their hearts, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that no mistake or offense would be greater than his ocean of love-- yes, that guy. Seeing THAT man means that I need to do what is right because that is what he has taught, but if I mess up, he will correct and forgive with love, and I boldly go where I have never gone before (sorry, Trekkies, I just couldn't resist) because HE is there.
That, ladies & gents, is walking with FREEDOM and CONFIDENCE.
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