>>>
Ephesians 1:18 - Hope Greater Than Vision.

Ephesians 1:18 (NIV) I pray also that the 
eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order 
that you may know the hope to which he has called 
you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in 
the saints,  

COMMENTARY

Hope
   Out of faith, hope, and love - Paul's 
three significant virtues in his famous chapter on 
love - we generally give a lot of emphasis to 
faith and love, but much less to hope. Why? 
Perhaps because of what the English language has 
done to hope. It can imply a casual wish, an 
unrealistic fantasy, or a desperate longing. But the 
biblical word is much more certain; it's confident 
expectation of what hasn't happened yet but will. And 
it's always looking for God's goodness. Many 
Christians wish for God's goodness but don't really 
expect to see it in this age. They interpret 
difficult circumstances as evidence that God is 
holding out on them, letting them down, or punishing 
them. They see the world through disappointment, 
bitterness, or cynicism. They know God is good; they 
just don't experience Him that way. At least not 
yet. 
   Kingdom citizens are called to be 
relentless hopers. We are to expect goodness in every 
aspect of our lives, even when life seems on the 
surface to be taking a negative turn. We don't look 
on the surface; we look deeper and acknowledge 
that even when we don't understand, God is good. 
We see Him and others through lenses of hope, 
fully confident that the end of the story will 
thrill us and fulfill us. Instead of seeing the 
junk in other people, we see the treasures, no 
matter how hidden they are. Instead of reading the 
headlines with fear and anxiety, we read them as 
opportunities for God to intervene in this world. In other 
words, we read between the lines of life to discern 
the God we know to be faithful and true. 
   Insist on hope. You may have to retrain 
your brain to think in different patterns, and 
you may need to tell your heart to handle 
disappointment differently than you ever have. Even so, 
choose hope. Expect the goodness of God in the land 
of the living. Know the certainty of your 
calling and His delight in you. And live as one 
whose hope can never be shaken. [The One Year 
Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen] 

CLOSING PEARL

Spiritual Sight
   I must, in a little time, go to God. What 
comforts me in this life is that I now see Him by 
faith. I see Him in such a manner that I sometimes 
say, I believe no more, but I see. I feel what 
faith teaches us, and, in that assurance and that 
practice of faith, I live and die with Him. - Letter 
11 
   The Apostles could accurately teach about 
Jesus because they were personal eyewitnesses to 
his ministry on earth. Although Brother Lawrence 
was never in the physical presence of Jesus, he 
cultivated a lifestyle of seeing where God was at work 
around him and then joining Him there. This 
spiritual insight allowed him to see from God's 
perspective. There is an old adage that goes, "those who 
leave everything in God's hand will eventually see 
God's hand in everything." If you are having 
difficulty seeing God, try to quiet yourself, wait, and 
ask the Holy Spirit for the spiritual insight to 
see what God is doing around you. Then you will 
begin to see yourself, your problems, and your 
past, present, and future a little clearer the 
closer you get to God. [The Practice of the 
Presence of God: 40 Day Devotional by Brother 
Lawrence/Alan Vermilye] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC

2 Corinthians 4:18 - Focus on What Will Last 
Forever. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200910-1039.html 

2 Corinthians 5:7 - Living by faith or by 
sight? 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211217-0839.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE