May 2, 2025

Ephesians 1:20-23 (HCSB)
God’s Power in Christ
20 He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.

Joel Robertson
Isn’t it a comfort and joy to realize that Jesus is Lord of all and over all, even those who do not believe in Him? It comforts me to know that when things in this world seem to be on the verge of collapse, and may at some point collapse, we have a hope beyond hope that will see His divine will executed. Even in our darkest times, we can rely on the Lord. Your darkest times might be your own and no one else sees your suffering, but God is there with you.  One of my favorite authors is G.K. Chesterton.  He says this about the virtue of hope: “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.” (“On Paganism and Mr. Lowes-Dickinson,” Heretics). And he says: “hang on for ten minutes after all is hopeless, that hope begins to dawn.” (The Speaker, Feb. 2, 1901). And this exchange between Frodo and Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien on Frodo being the bearer of the Ring of Power brings a sense of purpose to why I am here in the circumstances that God has put me in: “’I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”