In step

[RiverOL]

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 1:15-23

[May] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Ephesians 1:17

True knowledge is a gift from God. When we know God for who he truly is, that is the most important and basic truth that anyone can accept.

The apostle Paul prays that God will give his readers the spiritual powers of wisdom and revelation. Paul knows that God is eager to give Christians these gifts. When we have godly wisdom, we understand how God’s world works, and we understand what to do. When we receive the spiritual power of revelation (vision), we can see what lies ahead and be confident that the future is in God’s hands.

Wisdom and revelation from God lead us to know God better. Our increasingly wise thoughts inform us that the power and love and goodness of God are without end. And through revelation the Spirit shows that no matter how much we meditate on God and his Word, we will never see to the end of his goodness, power, and love.

Increasing knowledge of God sets us on the path toward holiness. This is not just a matter of accepting facts about God. We learn and experience that God is good and loving and just. And when we grow in the knowledge of God, we begin to offer him our reverence and obedience, which he truly deserves.

Let’s pray daily for wisdom and revelation so that our knowledge of God may continually increase.

O God, we need wisdom and revelation so that we may grow to know you better. May we know you as you truly are, and may we revere you as you deserve. Amen.

 

[RiverOL]

Scripture Reading — Psalm 96:1-13

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Psalm 96:1

Whenever my Aunt Rosemary was working in the kitchen, she would sing. I don’t remember whether the songs were popular tunes, hymns, or made-up melodies, but they were lovely. Whenever I went there to play with my cousins, I could count on hearing her beautiful voice.

Singing is a great way to engage the mind with goodness (assuming the song doesn’t celebrate some kind of evil). This is why the Bible calls on us to sing to God and glorify him. The pleasant sounds of our voices give honor and glory to God as we sing biblical songs. Even if the songs we sing are not specifically Christian, our voices glorify our Creator just as the buzzes of bees and the songs of birds do.

Not all of us have beautiful voices, but that doesn’t matter. A voice raised to heaven is a voice beautified in heaven.

Singing is known to engage our minds at the deepest levels. Even in the last days of her life with Alzheimer’s disease, my mother-in-law could sing old hymns she had learned in her youth. She didn’t know where she was, but she still remembered the words and the tunes of those songs.

Our thoughts can be put to good use in song. Composing music and lyrics in honor of the Lord who gives us life and blesses us with all good things, we can apply our whole selves in praise to God. We can lift up our hearts and voices and sing!

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, you heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” Amen.