IN THE BELOVED!

 

9/4/2020

Today I heard the words “in the Beloved” on my morning run.

Ephesians 1:3- talks about being “in the Beloved”.  I remember that phrase from my King James days. 

What does it mean?  What does it look like?

Not striving to get in, not still trying to measure up, because I’m already in the Beloved.  I didn’t get in by doing anything.  Daddy invited me, on May 9, 1966, and I said yes.

So why did you want to tell me about this verse, this morning? 

Because you’ve been struggling again, competing to be the best, feeling like what you do is never enough.

But what happened yesterday?

As she handed me my weekly paycheck, the boss told me “I gave you a raise, a few weeks ago.  I don’t know if you noticed.”

You got a raise and you were so busy working that you didn’t even notice it.

No, I didn’t.

You are already accepted in the Beloved.

“And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe!”

Chosen before I was born?  Chosen before I’d done anything to qualify me, or disqualify me?  Hired and given a raise before I was old enough to know my right hand from my left.  When I was born, my dad named me Taffy, but you called me Beloved.

“Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence.”

Holy in your eyes.  So if I see things differently, I’m believing a lie.

Yes.

“For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace – for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us.  And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!”

I remember the morning in my prayer room as I got up from the floor to get ready for work, and I heard you say “I love you as much as I love Jesus.”

You let your words hang in mid-air for a few seconds and then asked me, as you so often do, “Do you believe it?”

My response:  I’ve been in competition all my life.  Number 3 among 5 kids, with a cute baby sister.  I strove in every relationship to be the most loved.  If I wasn’t picked first, I felt less than.  And I hated feeling less than, so I just tried harder, doing, striving.  But now you say you love me as much as you love your first born, Jesus? 

Weeks later I came across that scripture, Eph. 1:6  “… for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us.”  And I was so excited!  What he’d whispered to me in the prayer room, he put in his word so I could see it in black and white, and hide it in my heart.  And the icing on the cake is this crazy statement:  “And this unfolding plan bring him great pleasure.”

What ?!?  It brings you pleasure to love me as your own flesh and blood?  Why?

This cascading love glorifies your grace.

All I can do is worship this amazing Daddy whose pleasure comes from adopting me as his child.

“Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been give the treasures of redemption by his blood – the total cancellation of our sins – all because of the cascading riches of his grace.  This super abundant grace is already powerfully working in us, releasing within us all forms of wisdom and practical understanding.”

When my mind stops being focused on how I can earn my position, keep trying to measure up to the status you’ve already given me without striving, in the Beloved, then and only then can I participate with you in your plans – experience “all forms of wisdom and practical understanding”.

“And through the revelation of the Anointed One, he unveiled his secret desires to us – the hidden mystery of his long-range place, which he was delighted to implement from the very beginning of time.  And because of God’s unfailing promise, this detailed plan will reign supreme through every period of time until the fulfillment of all the ages fully reaches its climax – when God makes all things new in all of heaven and earth through Jesus Christ.”

“Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny: that we would fulfill the plan of God who accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.”

So there is a master plan, and God chooses to share that plan with the ones whose destiny it is to accomplish it.  Without striving or competing, I choose to enter the rest of knowing I’m already accepted in the Beloved, and join the team of your lovers as we follow your detailed plan of bringing heaven to earth.