Verse for today – “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:22-23).”

According to this verse, and others, Jesus Christ is in charge of all things. So why, you might ask, is our world in such a mess? This question is not directly answered in the book of Ephesians, but I feel it is important to address the matter before we move on. Jesus frequently acknowledged that our world is a broken place. For example, He said: “… in the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” Instead of shutting down, or judging the world, or forcing His way, Jesus has put into place a plan of healing and restoration. This makes sense; after all God said, “[He] God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17).” Jesus gave His life on the cross as a payment for our sins and He has sent The Church into the world with this offer!

The book of Ephesians is a letter to the church. You notice in today’s verses that “[Christ] is the head over all things to the church which is His body…” Tomorrow, and in the days to come, as we venture into the rest of this book, we will read about God’s plan to save lost people, gather them in the church family, and use them to offer transformation to the world. We are living in the Church Age! This means the Church is God’s current plan. Yes, the world is broken and you will read about God’s acknowledgment of this in the very next verse as we step into chapter 2; however, Jesus has decided to postpone judgment and offer His help to all who will turn to Him. He does not plan to take us immediately out of this broken world, but to use us as His hands and His feet to offer hope!

While working at a Chrysler Dealership in Maryland some time ago, I invited a fellow employee to join me for lunch. We were both young workers and had simple bag lunches to enjoy while taking a mid-day break. As we sat together in my car, talking about life, and cars, I handed the young man a short tract about God and His love for humanity. I asked if he would be willing to read it—something that would take about 5 minutes—and talk about it together. The young man read the first sentence, set the tract down, and announced, “Oops, I hit a stop word!” “A stop word,” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “I don’t read or talk about anything that has to do with God.” I was stunned and, quite frankly, had no idea what to say, so we moved on to another topic; however, the young man’s response is incredibly sad!

This is a small picture of our world! Many have chosen Christ and are attempting to follow Him; but many also have not. Are you willing to consider His love for you? Are you willing to ask for His help? Are you willing to become His hands and His feet and offer hope to our broken world? God’s plans include you, dear reader! Choose well.