Verse for today – “if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief (Eph. 3:2-3).”

Sometimes God gives special assignments! Remember Abraham? God chose him to be the father of a nation. Remember John the Baptist? God sent him to be the forerunner and “announcer” of the Messiah. In a similar way God hand picked and called Paul for a special mission. Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles. This title means that God specifically sent Paul to the Gentiles to help them turn from sin and receive Jesus as Savior. Several verses in the Bible help us understand this assignment.

Maybe you remember Paul’s conversion to Christianity. Around that time he was known as Saul, and he was a feared persecutor of Christians. He was on his way to Damascus, “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” when Jesus appeared to him in blazing light and revealed Himself to Paul. Paul asked, “Who are you Lord?” and Jesus responded, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do (Acts 9:5-6).” Notice, God had a specific plan in mind for Paul (“it will be told you what you must do”).

At that same time, God told a Christian named Ananias to go and pray for Paul to receive his sight since Paul had lost his vision during Jesus’ blazing revelation. Because of Paul’s reputation and purpose of coming to Damascus to persecute Christians, Ananias was afraid to go! But God was insistent! HE spoke to Ananias as follows: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake (Acts 9:15-16).” Clearly, Paul received this stewardship, or assignment, from God by revelation!

In addition, Paul received “the mystery” by revelation. He mentioned this in passing in Eph. 1:9 (“He made known to us the mystery of His will”), and here again in today’s verses. What is this mystery? Paul shares the details in the next verses, which we will resume discussing when we cover those statements; but for today, consider your own life and relationship with your Maker. What purpose does God have for your life? You can be sure it is important because it comes from HIM. It is also something that will outlast you. Men’s and women’s plans are temporary, but God’s are forever. Why not take some time to talk to your heavenly Father about His plans for you? Dream together with God and consider how He has gifted you and how He may want to use you.