TODAY’S READING: Ephesians 3:7-9
KEY VERSE:
“Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ” EPH 3:8 (NIV)
In 1965, a sound engineer in Abbey Road Studio picked up a piece of crumpled paper from the bin. On the page was John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for ‘Nowhere man’. In 2003, this piece of paper was sold at Christie’s Auction for £270,000. One man’s rubbish became another man’s treasure.
Do you ever feel worthless or discarded? Paul called himself, “less than the least”. He had been a persecutor and murderer of Christians, completely at odds with the gospel of Christ, yet God chose him, saved him and gave him a purpose. Not only had he become a beneficiary in the boundless riches of Christ, but he had been called to share these riches with a people group who themselves were unlikely and considered unworthy.
I spoke to a precious girl recently who said,
“If people knew the truth about me, they wouldn’t want anything to do with me. No-one would love me if they knew who I really was.” Like that piece of paper thrown in the bin, she had no idea of her value. The truth is that none of us deserves anything from God but to Him, we are priceless. My friend’s mum had a beautiful sketch of Jesus on her wall along with these words:
‘I asked Jesus, “how much do you love me?”
“This much,” he said
and he stretched out his arms and died.’
God was willing to pay the ultimate price for you and me so that we could become recipients of His boundless riches. What are these boundless riches? We have seen throughout this letter, the limitless forgiveness, grace and mercy of God that is made available to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Because these riches are ‘boundless’ (beyond comprehension or measurement) this means that whatever we may have done, however we may have messed up or fallen short, He is always there for us with depths of mercy, grace and forgiveness that will never run out!
ACTION STEPS
• Read Ephesians 3:7-9
• Pray. Thank God that your value is found in Him. Repent of any areas where you may have failed God, confident that out of His boundless riches, we will find grace, mercy and forgiveness.
• Who can you share the boundless riches of Christ with today?