…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might…
Ephesians 1:18-19

Enlightenment: that’s when the lights come on and suddenly or gradually I am able to see and understand something I couldn’t see before.

There are some things in the room that have been there all along, but I was unaware of them. I might even have been bumping into them or tripping over them without knowing what they were, but now as the lights come on I can see them.

What is it that God wants me to see and understand as He turns on the lights in my heart?

The first thing is the hope to which He has called me. God has promised eternal life and joyful freedom from all the sorrows, diseases, weaknesses and pain of this life. I live now, quivering with excitement in anticipation of the fulfillment of that and all His other promises. That’s what the Bible calls “hope.”

The second thing God wants me to begin to see is the riches of His glorious inheritance that is now mine as one of His saints. I’m the street kid who has been been adopted into the wealthiest of families, with a rich history and unimaginable privileges that are all suddenly mine. The lights are coming on and I’m barely beginning to discover them. (“Wow! Is that mine, now?”)

And finally, He wants me to understand the immeasurable greatness of His power toward me as a believer. What can God do in me, if I will just trust His Word? I’m only beginning to see it.

Lord, turn on the lights in my heart. Show me these things so that I can begin to understand, unpack, and enjoy them. Amen!

Pastor Dan Giles