October 1, 2022 8:00 pm
“Tell all the truth but tell it slant,” the poet Emily Dickinson wrote, suggesting that, because God’s truth and glory is far “too bright” for vulnerable human beings to understand or receive all at once, it’s best for us to receive and share God’s grace and truth in “slant”—gentle, indirect—ways. For “the Truth must dazzle gradually / Or every man be blind.”
The apostle Paul made a similar argument in Ephesians 4 when he urged believers to be “completely humble and gentle” and to “be patient, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2). The foundation for believers’ gentleness and grace with each other, Paul explained, is Christ’s gracious ways with us. Clothing His glory to descend to be with us (vv. 9–10), Jesus revealed Himself in the quiet, gentle ways people needed in order to trust and receive Him.
And He continues to reveal Himself in such gentle, loving ways—gifting and empowering His people in just the ways they need to continue to grow and mature—“so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature” (vv. 12–13). As we grow, we become less vulnerable to looking elsewhere for hope (v. 14) and more confident in following Jesus’ example of gentle love (vv. 15–16).
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Our reading, titled God's Gentle Grace, was written by Monica LaRose. In His incarnation, Jesus said, And He continues to reveal Himself in such gentle, loving ways, gifting and empowering His people in just the ways they need to continue to grow and mature so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Ephesians chapter 4, verses 2 through 15. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given, as Christ apportioned it. This is what it says, When He ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people. What does He ascended mean except that He also descended to the lower earthly regions?
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become, in every respect, the mature body of Him who is the head that is Christ. Let's pray. Dear God, thank You for Your gentle ways You reveal Your goodness, grace, and truth to us. Help us to find patience and rest as we trust in Your loving care. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening. My name is Alisha Reisinger, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2022-12-28 23:55:37 / 2022-12-28 23:57:03 / 1
