New Mercies Every Morning: Starting Your Day with God

FRIDAY, 6 JUNE 2025

TEXT: EPHESIANS 3:1-13

1. For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles, pray to God.

2. Surely you have heard that God in his grace has given me this work to do for your good.

3. God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. (I have written briefly about this,

4. and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ.)

5. In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

6. The secret is that by means of the gospel the Gentiles have a part with the Jews in God's blessings; they are members of the same body and share in the promise that God made through Christ Jesus.

7. I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power.

8. I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ,

9. and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages,

10. in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

11. God did this according to his eternal purpose, which he achieved through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12. In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God's presence with all confidence.

13. I beg you, then, not to be discouraged because I am suffering for you; it is all for your benefit.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: CHRIST, THE CONNECTING BRIDGE

A bridge is a crucial connecting object between two or more people or islands, leading to mutual benefits.

Paul sees himself as a privileged connecting bridge to bring the Ephesian Christians to accepting Christ and the abundant opportunities they have in knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Their faith brought them a mystery hidden from other ages, now made known through Paul. Paul was given the grace to reach out to the Gentiles.

It is Christ's purpose to make all who respond to the gospel of salvation become joint heirs with Him.

The Ephesian converts

knew more about principalities and powers that created fear in them, but when they crossed the bridge to Jesus, they had more freedom and become members of the family of God.

QUESTION: Have you made use of the connecting bridge to cross to the side of Jesus Christ?

PRAYER: O Lord, may I not miss the opportunity the connecting bridge, Jesus, offers me through the gospel, in Jesus' name. Amen.