Ephesians 2:6 “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”
‘Under the circumstances’ is a common enough phrase, but if Jesus is over and above all circumstances – and as our verse says we too are seated with him ‘in the heavenly realms’ – then maybe it’s not one we should use as his followers. We never have to be ‘under’ the circumstances.
When it rains, most birds head for shelter, yet the eagle is the one bird which, in order to avoid the rain, will fly above the cloud. Maybe we who hope in the Lord should, similar to Isaiah 40:31-speak, “soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.”
We are seated ‘in the heavenly realms in Christ’. Many years ago, Tony Bennett sang, “I left my heart in San Francisco”. What did he mean? Well, he meant that San Francisco was his passion, his love, his true home – even though he had temporarily moved to Chicago. Similarly for us and heaven – there lies our passion, our love, and our true home. We’re exiles and aliens on earth. The world has no claim on us. We’re in Christ, and heaven is always pulling us upwards and holding our affections.
Colossians 3:3 says: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Whatever you are going through today, remember where you are hidden, remember you are not under the circumstances, remember where you are seated, all in Christ! Paul wrote from jail in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” In jail, yet not ‘under the circumstances. Paradoxical maybe, but still ‘able to do all things through Christ’.
Please help me live today with the right perspective on everything I come up against. In Christ. Amen!
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