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Transcript/ notes from Session 8, “Eyes To See”

Introduction

Welcome to the Benefits of the Cross, Session 8. This session is entitled, “Eyes To See” – “Eyes To See” hesed.”

Before I begin, I had a thought just this morning as I was preparing. I have this floater in my eye. It’s debris that got caught in the vitreous humor. I went to the ophthalmologist, and he said it’s nothing to worry about. I read this about the vitreous humor:

The vitreous humor lets the light in so it hits the retina at the back your eye. The retina is the part of your eye that communicates with your brain so you can see. The retina turns the light into signals about images that the brain can understand.

This floater – this debris – is always there, but I’m not always conscious of it. It obstructs my view, but I’ve compensated for it. It’s just something I’ve gotten used to. 

So God gave me this analogy. Are there things that we have gotten used to that actually obstruct our view of God’s plan? Things that OTHERS have downplayed and said, “It’s nothing to worry about and there’s nothing you can do about it. Lot’s a people deal with that, and they just live with it.” Things that WE have said, “Well, it’s always going to be that way. It’s always going to be there, so I might as well get used to it. I might has well compensate for it and compromise and just accept a lower view than God’s plan.”

I want to begin today with a prayer journal entry from July 8, 2020, which I entitled, “Truth sets us free.” We were praying through a situation where there was monumental resistance in the natural. But the revelation of the gospel and all the promises of God gave us no option but to press through without compromise. the promise we had seen in our hearts – was not something we could unsee, no matter how impossible it might have seemed. So this is what I wrote that day:

Taking the path of most resistance is reminding me of the season of Mark’s healing in 1995. After the Bible fell open to James 5 and the truth jumped off the page that it was God’s will to heal Mark, I never once after that moment considered any other option. I never once imagined Mark in a wheelchair as an old man. I didn’t have to keep myself from such thoughts. I was too consumed with what God had said and what He continued to confirm through the Bible on page after page. And He continued to confirm through testimonies we listened to on tapes and read in books. I didn’t think about the future, except for a future with Mark healed. And there was no condemnation in it. I didn’t think about faith or the lack of it. I didn’t think, “If Mark isn’t healed, it’s because I didn’t have enough faith. If Mark isn’t healed, it’s because Mark doesn’t have enough faith.” My faith was simply seeing Jesus all throughout the Gospels healing people. The only battle was the battle to remain at rest and to keep my eyes on Jesus and my ears open to His voice. I remember a meeting with the neurologist who was piling on all the terrible expectations he had for Mark and the dire prognosis he had for him. I had to walk out of the room and pace the hall reciting scriptures like Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all my sins and He heals all my diseases.” I was in a total bubble with tunnel vision. There was only one reality that I was embracing. The future was in God’s hands, and it was a good future. In the present, I chose to believe that truth, stand on that truth, and never let go of that truth.

Sometimes you have to have “tunnel vision” when it comes to the promises of God. Sometimes you have to shut out every other voice, but the voice of Jesus. Sometimes you have to speak to your own soul and say, 

Psalm 103:1-4 – Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness [hesed] and tender mercies, [raham]…

As I said in Session 2 of this series, everything listed in those first few verses of Psalm 103 are benefits of the cross, purchased for us with the precious blood of Jesus.

Today we’re going to look at another aspect of hesed from Psalm 103:4: having eyes to see hesed.

In God’s own self definition in Exodus 34, He said that He is full of “hesed.” hesed, translated here in Psalm 103 as lovingkindness, is actually an inexpressible Hebrew word with over 170 different English translations including lovingkindness, unfailing love, mercy, goodness, steadfast love, and as I shared in the last message, gracious covenant loyalty. The covenants are based in God’s hesed. He keeps hesed. His hesed endures forever!

Hesed is the defining characteristic of God, and Jesus is the embodiment of hesed. He is the visible image of the invisible God, the exact representation of God’s nature. 

Jesus is the visual of God. We see Jesus, and we see God. Everything Jesus did in the gospels is not just what He does, it’s who He is. It’s His nature.

When we see the cross, what do we see? We see the outstretched arms of God.  The cross was the act of perfect hesed. The perfect act of redeeming love – the kindest act ever committed.

Now, we who had a right to expect nothing are filled with everything that Jesus is, and we are given everything that Jesus deserves.

That is the New Covenant promise. Jesus is in perfect union with the Father, and now that very relationship is ours through the cross because of the everlasting lovingkindness and tender mercies of our Heavenly Father.

John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [That’s His heed – His lovingkindness.] 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. [That’s His raham – tender mercies.]

Claire shared with me about a message she had listened to regarding the relationship we have with God in the New Covenant. This relationship was described as God’s “lifelong dream.”

From the fall of man in the Garden to the cross of His beloved Son is the story of God’s pursuit of the restoration of His fellowship and intimacy with us. His delight is to be in union with us and to lavish us with the riches of His grace. But our eyes must to be opened to Jesus, to who He is, to His love, and what He has done for us before we can walk in the fullness of that union.

The eyes of your understanding

Paul prayed that –

Ephesians 1:17 – …the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him [Jesus],…

First of all, who gives the Spirit? God does. Who gives wisdom and revelation? The Spirit. The word “give” is didōmi, and it means to bestow a gift, to grant, to supply, to endue. Paul prayed that God would give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. And that’s what we also pray for.

The word “revelation” is the Greek word, “apokalypsis” which means – unveiling; the lifting of a veil; the disclosure of truth which was unknown before; something hidden that is revealed.

What does the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation unveil? The knowing of Jesus. If you know Jesus; if you know the heart of God for you, then – 

Ephesians 1:18 – the eyes of your understanding being [are] enlightened;…

We are enlightened – phōtizō – like the shutter of a camera lens opening, and light flooding in. What happens when light floods in? We can see pictures!  We can see images!

For ex, what does it look like to be crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies? Debbie brought us all crowns a couple of weeks ago because she saw crowns in her heart. I saw a dad giving his son the biggest bear hug. The word of God evokes images.

Do you remember Ephesians 2, and why God raised us up together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

Ephesians 2:7 – that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

The Greek word for kindness here is chrēstotēs [khray-stot’-ace] – it is one of  the corresponding Greek words to the Hebrew word is hesed.

It means “goodness, lovingkindness, covenant loyalty, divine kindness which meets needs. It’s an active kindness filled with empathy that wants to alleviate suffering. (Just reading that definitions gives me all kinds of pictures in my mind!)

God wants us to see the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness, His chrēstotēs, His hesed towards us, what does that look like? It looks like the answers to prayers. It looks like provision and promises being fulfilled. It looks like heavenly gifts.

When the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus comes, the eyes of our “understanding” are enlightened. “Understanding” is the Greek word “dianoia.

Dianoia is the exercise of imagination. It’s the power of understanding and feeling and desiring. When you take those words “eyes being enlightened,” and you put them with the word dianoia, you get vision in the mind. And this imagination brings feelings of peace and joy and love. [Like a child!]

Why does God give us this gift? So that we will know something –

Ephesians 1:18, cont – that you may know what is the hope of His calling.

The Greek word for “know” is “eidō” which literally means, “to see, to perceive with the eyes.” God wants us to see the wonderful future He has called us to! Listen to The Living Bible – 

Ephesians 1:17-18, TLB – I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can see something of the future he has called you to share. [with Him]

When the this light floods in, and we can see a bright future. We can see our bodies healed. We can see the provision. We can see our lost loved ones coming home to Jesus. We can literally see it with pictures in our hearts!

“In your Seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed”

I want to go back to Abraham for just a minute and talk about how God showed Abraham the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards him. How did God give Abraham eyes to see His hesed – His gracious covenant loyalty?

As we read about the family line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see grace upon grace upon grace for people who were not perfect. In fact, at times they were quite flawed. However, never, not once, do you see God angry with them. He never even rebuked them.

Genesis 24:1 – Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

Why was Abraham so blessed? Because God is good and because Abraham believed in the Lord. That’s all. He believed. And God told him – 

Genesis 12:3 – “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 22:18 – “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…”

Genesis 26:4 – [The Lord said the same thing to Isaac – ] “in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 28:14 – [And to Jacob He said – ] “in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Notice that the word “seed” – singular – is used over and over. Who is the Seed? Jesus! 

Jesus is the Seed through whom the blessings of God flow! God chose Abraham to set up a lineage for Jesus – who would put on human flesh to become God’s incarnate hesed and the fulfillment of every promise and every blessing! That is what Paul said in Galatians – 

Galatians 3:16, 29 – Now to Abraham and his Seed [notice the capital “S” there] were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. [In other words – all of the promises are made TO Jesus, and given to us THROUGH Jesus.].…29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [of righteousness and the promise of being in right standing with God and receiving all the blessings, NOT because YOU are good, but because GOD is good!]

Abraham: look now to the heavens…

So I want to go back to Genesis 12 and see how God used pictures and visions to show Abraham the promises of His covenant of pure grace.  

Genesis 12:1-4 – [God told Abraham to] “[Go] to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you [barak – bestowing divine favor and prosperity.] and [God says, “I will] make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. [You shall be a source of blessing and prosperity.] 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and [his nephew] Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

So Abraham set out as God instructed. He reached Canaan, the land God promised him, and started his journey south into the land.

There was a famine, however, so he diverted to Egypt for a time. There he lied about Sarai being his sister. You know the story. Nevertheless, he left there and returned to Canaan abundantly blessed.

Genesis 13:2 – Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

He’s about 80 years old. Lot was still with him, but they split up because of a dispute over whether the land could support them both. In order to make peace, Abram let Lot choose whatever part of the land he wanted. Lot chose the better part of the land which was well watered.

Then God did something to help Abram with his faith. He told him to look – to open his eyes – to a visual of what God was giving him.

Genesis 13:14-17 – And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him:  [Did you know that the name “Lot” means veil? After the veil had been lifted, God said – ] “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. [This land was the provision and the inheritance of the covenant. Whatever Abram could SEE was his. SEEING is very important. What is northward, southward, eastward, and westward a picture of? The cross. Our inheritance is in the cross. Can we SEE the benefits of the cross? Whatever we can SEE is ours. If we can’t SEE it, we ask God to lift the veil.] 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” [Sometimes we need to literally walk it out and claim it.]

So there were several promises, but there was still a problem. Abram was childless. So in Genesis 15, when Abram was 85, God gave Abram what he needed – not the child, but a vision – the vision always comes first.

Genesis 15:1 – After these things [after defeating some formidable foes in battle] the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, [God spoke through the vision] saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. [It does no good to just will your mind not to fear. The revelation of God is the only answer to fear.] I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

What was the vision that God gave him? He showed Abram HIMSELF as a  shield of protection.

And I believe God also showed Abram what it looks like when God HIMSELF is our exceedingly great reward. The Hebrew word for “reward” is sakar, and it means salary, compensation, benefit, reward, worth, provision.

I think God gave Abram a techni-color vision of this word: “I MYSELF AM your provision. I AM everything I have promised to you.”

Who is the great I AM? Jesus! Look to Jesus, and you will see that He is your everything. He is everything you need and everything you desire. He is everything you are praying for. 

But if you look to yourself, and you will fear. you will see the impotence of Abram – the impotence of the flesh.

Genesis 15:2-6 – But Abram [argued and] said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” [What did Abraham see? He saw the obvious: he was childless. So he came to the logical conclusion -] 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” [In other words, “That’s a great vision, Lord, but it’s impossible. I have no children. And everything I own is going to a servant in my home!” You remember Romans 4 – which we’ll get to in a minute – it says that Abraham “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief.” That’s what is recorded in heaven, but it took God’s help to get Abram to that place of faith. God had to open his eyes to see! God never rebuked Abram for his lack of faith. He simply kept helping him SEE. He corrected Abram with more VISION.] 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one [Eliezer] shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” [Isaac! A picture of Jesus!] 5 Then He [God] brought him [Abram] outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him [Abram], “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And [THAT’s when] he believed in the Lord, and He [God] accounted it to him for righteousness.” [He saw the stars, and he believed. What did he see when he looked at the stars?]

God said, “Count the stars if you are able to number them.” It’s interesting that this word “count” is not the same word for “number the dust” in Chapter 13. The words “count” and “number” in chapter 15 are the same Hebrew word: sāp̄ar. It means to recount, to inscribe, to record, to declare, to tell a story. Sāp̄ar is the root of the Hebrew word for book. [sēp̄er (say’-fer)]

God gave Abram a visual that tells a story! In those stars is the gospel story.

Psalm 19:1-5, NLT – The heavens proclaim [sāp̄ar, again] the glory of God. [Who is the glory of God? Jesus! Look to the heavens, and you’ll see Jesus and the story of our redemption.] The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. [Why? Because the very visual tells the story. A picture is worth 1000 words!] 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. [Beautiful picture of the passion of Jesus for us!]

The stars tell the story of Jesus, not astrology or New Age religion! I went down a rabbit hole this week looking at the story of Jesus in the constellations and had to climb back out. Too much detail for today! But I’ll share a little.

There are the constellations  – the first one being Virgo – which means virgin. The virgin is Mary, and she is holding a branch which is the brightest star of Virgo called Spica, which means a sprouted offshoot of grain, which in Hebrew is the name Tsemach [tseh’-makh] which in English means “The Branch.” Jesus is that Branch. I shared Jeremiah’s prophecy in the last message – 

Jeremiah 23:5 – “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, [He’s talking about the New Covenant there] “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; [Tsemach Tsidqenu – that’s Jesus!]…

And the last constellation is Leo, which looks like a lion, with legs, a tail, and a head. This is a picture of Jesus. The brightest star of Leo is Regulus. Regulus is his foot. Regulus means “the treading underfoot” or “the foot that crushes.” The Hebrew word for “foot” is reḡel. [reh’-gel]

And then you have Hydra, which is a cluster of stars right under Regulus, right under the foot of Leo. Hydra is in the shape of a long serpent. Leo is springing up to pounce on Hydra, crushing Hydra’s head under His foot.

It’s picture of Jesus crushing the head of satan! What was lost in the Garden was restored by Jesus! God said to the serpent in the garden – 

Genesis 3:15, NIV – “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Jesus] will crush your head,…” 

How did Jesus crush the head of satan? He took the sin of Adam, which had spread to us, into the grave, and He rose from the dead overcoming sin and death!

1 John 3:8 – For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus overcame the power of the enemy to kill, steal and destroy our lives!

Ephesians 1:20-23— He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

We look to the heavens – we set our mind on things above, believe the gospel story, and God will account it to us as righteousness, just like He did for Abraham!

Think about these pictures that God gave Abraham so that he had something to look at instead of his impotent body!

Romans 4:17-18 – (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him [God] whom he [Abraham] believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; [Who gives life? Who call those things into being? God does! Remember that! When we call those things forth, we were not first! God was first. We are just coming into agreement with Him. First we have to see what He sees, know and believe the promise, then call it forth.] 18 who, [Abraham] contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” [God said, “I HAVE MADE YOU (past tense) a Father of many nations.” But for Abraham to BECOME that, he had to see it, and no matter how impossible it seemed, he had to have hope – a confident expectation of it.] 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. [“Consider” is the Greek word “katanoeo” – which literally means he did not “fix his eyes or mind upon” his impotent body. He fixed his eyes in the stars!]

God’s job was to give Abraham the picture of the promise, give it life, and call forth the promise with His words.

Abraham’s job was to hear and see the promise and against all odds – when it was hopeless – believe that God could bring forth something out of nothing – something that did not even exist! And the longer Abraham had to wait, the more impossible the promise became because the older he became.

But every time Abraham looked up in the sky at night and saw the stars or down at the dust of the ground during the day, he had the picture of the promises. He had a daily reminders.

Perhaps sometimes it was cloudy at night and the stars were covered up, but they were still there. Sometimes it’s hard to see the picture of the promise because storms and clouds get in the way, and what we see in the natural covers up what we see in our hearts, but hope against hope must rise up.

We must keep the pictures ever before us. When we look at those pictures, we are looking into the face of Jesus because Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises. 

2 Corinthians 1:19-20, NIV – [Jesus] was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him [Jesus] it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. [Glory is the Greek word “doxa” – to have a good opinion of God. That’s what we are doing when we say “amen.” Nothing says “I think highly of You” to God more than believing what He has promised.]

Abraham was able to agree with God because he was fully convinced that God would do what He said, no matter how long it took.

Romans 4:20-22 – He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, [doxa, again – Abraham kept a good opinion of God and it strengthened his faith so that he was – ] 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Listen to The Living Bible – 

Romans 4:20, TLB – Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened.

What did God say to Abraham? “Blessing I will bless you!” He says the same to us!

Genesis 22:17, The Message – I’ll bless you—oh, how I’ll bless you! And I’ll make sure that your children flourish—like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies.

Can you see it in your heart? Can you praise God for the blessing even before it has happened? 

A few years ago, God gave me a day-dream – a visual answer to my prayer for a miracle, and it was accompanied by inexpressible joy. And I heard the Holy  Spirit ask me in my heart, “Tricia, how would you feel if what you just experienced was actually happening right now?” I answered, “I would be overwhelmed with joy.” He said, “I give you permission to go ahead and experience that joy today because it is done in heaven.” 

That’s part of seeing – we experience the joy before it even happens. I think it’s good to write down the imaginations that we get when we are praying. I do that. I actually have a detailed document with just pictures God has given me of His promises to me. It’s called “Imaginations.”

My friend Brenda sent me an article last week written by a guy named Nathan Tanner about prayer and imagination. He included Isaiah 26:3 in the Passion Translation: 

Isaiah 26:3, TPT – Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with You; they confidently trust in You.

Nathan wrote, 

If meditation brings truth into focus, imagination gives it color and depth. It’s the canvas of the heart where God’s promises take shape. Far from being a mere mental activity, imagination is a powerful tool designed by God to help us believe. Let’s be clear: using your imagination in prayer is not New Age mysticism. It’s biblical. God used imagery when speaking to Abraham. He told him to look at the stars and visualize his descendants (Genesis 15:5). God understands how we’re wired. He gave us imagination so we could partner with Him to see what He sees. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” — Ephesians 3:20 (NIV) Imagination doesn’t make something happen—it makes it believable. That’s the role it plays in prayer. It trains our hearts to see God’s Word as not only possible but real. Many people subconsciously imagine failure, sickness, lack, or rejection. Their heart has been programmed to expect disappointment. Imagination, when partnered with the Word, can reprogram that inner narrative. Joshua and Caleb saw the same land as the other spies, but they imagined victory while the others imagined defeat.

I read that, and I thought, do you know what the 10 spies saw? They actually said what they saw – and it wasn’t what God sees.

Numbers 13:32-33 – [They said] “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

They became what they saw, not only in their own sight, but also in the enemy’s sight! Do you know what Joshua and Caleb saw when they looked at the giants? They saw what God sees, so they said what they believed:

Numbers 14:9 – They [The giants] are our bread; [In other words, “We can eat them alive!”] their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

Ask and imagine

So I want to end today by looking at Ephesians 3:20 and maybe we can gain some insight into how to pray in faith.

Ephesians 3:20, NIV – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,…

We often stop there. But the scripture doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say – 

Ephesians 3:20, NIV, cont. – …according to his power that is at work within us,…

What does “according to” mean? It means “based on.” So we could say it like this: “now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, based on His power that is at work within us. 

Now, in the context of that verse, what is the power that Paul is referring to? We need to know because, the more of this power working in us, the the more we’ll ask, and the more we’ll imagine, and then He will do immeasurably more!

So let’s read in context:

Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV –  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power [dynamis – dynamite power] through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, [Power there is a different Greek word – exischyō – which means to be eminently able; to have full strength for a very difficult task. What is the difficult task?] to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [The task is to grasp the love of God – katalambanō – to lay hold of, to seize upon, take possession of – in this context it means “to lay hold of WITH THE MIND.”] 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

It is a difficult task to lay hold of this agapē love of God with our minds. It’s actually impossible without the Holy Spirit’s help.

It’s a love that is far more wonderful than a human can give or the human mind can understand – as is the peace of God. It surpasses knowledge. (Philippians 4:7) And the joy that this love brings is inexpressible with human words. (1 Peter 1:8).

We need revelation. We need the eyes of our dianoia opened. We need light to flood in. We need pictures. We need imagination.

Why is it so important to grasp this love in our minds? So that we experience the fullness of God. You can’t experience the fullness of God unless you take possession of this love in your mind. 

And He gives us the ability to do it, but we have a part – we must grasp. We must reach out and lay hold of it.

How do we take possession of something in our minds? We meditate on it. We immerse ourselves in it. We imagine it. We picture it. First, just picture the cross, God’s great demonstration of love.

This love has four dimensions.  Just like God told Abraham to look northward, southward, eastward, and westward – Paul is drawing an image of the cross –  it’s wide and long. It’s high and deep

It’s the perfect act of hesed – the unfailing love of Jesus. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) 

See the love of Jesus poured out for you at the cross. See what it cost Him. See the blood. See the stripes. See the broken body. See what He paid for. Can you picture it in your heart? Like Abraham, whatever you See, He gives you. You can take hold of it. It’s yours!!!! When you see the bread and wine of communion – God’s reminders of what Jesus purchased for us, can you see the benefits of the cross?

• Can you See “He forgives all my sins”? See yourself forgiven.
• Can you See “He heals all my diseases”? See yourself healed. 
• Can you See, “He redeems my life from destruction”? See yourself being pulled out of the pit.
• Can you See, “He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies”? See yourself being surrounded with the riches of God’s grace, His kindness, and His compassion like a big fatherly hug. Can you see your many prayers being answered and your dreams coming true?

Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask [that’s our words] or imagine, [that’s the picture] according to his power [the power of His love] that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Just like the promise of blessing for Abraham, this promise is for all generations. For ever and ever. That includes your children. Your children’s children. Your great-grandchildren. And all the generations you will not even be on earth to see. You will be in heaven cheering them on from victory to victory in Jesus. This is our heritage. Can you believe it? Can you see it?

Speaking of the great cloud of witnesses – can you picture them now in the grandstands surrounding us? Can you hear their cheers? What a wonderful sound to imagine. “You can do it! You’re almost there! Your victory is assured!!” Can you imagine the horses and the chariots of fire on the hills around us? Can you hear Jesus saying, “Don’t give up! Don’t lose heart! I AM your shield! I AM your exceedingly great reward!”

If God didn’t spare His own Son, how will He not with Jesus freely give us all things. What things? All things. He will give us pictures of those things because He gives us eyes to see. 

When you close your eyes and pray the promises of God, you don’t see that sick person sicker. You see them well. You don’t see that sinner engaged in some sinful behavior. You see them worshipping Jesus. Did you know you can pray without ceasing with your eyes open? If you are heavenly minded, when you see the problem, you can see the provision. It doesn’t mean that you deny the problem, it just means you see Jesus as the provision.

We have this idea that only special people have a gift of seeing, but in reality, we can all do it. I randomly said to Mark yesterday, “If I said, ‘Robert (my brother) is playing golf,’ what goes through your mind?” Mark said, “I see him on a golf course.” Everything we say evokes images. Even if I said, “I love Claire,” – love isn’t tangible, right? – but in your heart you might see me hugging Claire.

We have physical eyes that see people and colors and things that God created. Why would He not give us spiritual eyes to see His desires and plans. BTW – those are your desires! He puts those desires in your heart. Imagination doesn’t make it happen—it just makes it believable. 

As I was writing these notes the other day, I heard on the speaker in my kitchen: “Worthy, You are worthy. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, You are worthy.” Those words were not just words, they evoked an image in my heart of Jesus with a crown on His head, sitting on a throne in heaven, and me worshipping Him on my knees. Everything we say has a picture. 

Matthew 7:9-11 – “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” [Why do you give good gifts to your children? Because you love them. Why does God give good things to us? Because He loves us.]

When I read that passage, did you see pictures of bread, a stone, a fish, a serpent? Can you imagine Your heavenly Father giving you bread? If you ask for bread, He will give you bread because He loves you.

We who shouldn’t have a right to expect anything have been given the right – the right standing with God – to approach God and ask for anything in the name of Jesus.

John 12:14 – [Jesus said] “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

How do we know His will? We find it in His word. Every promise of blessing in the Abrahamic Covenant, the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant is ours because of Jesus. His blood has made us eternal co-heirs of everything He is and everything He has.

Because of “hesed,” (His perfect, loyal, merciful, relentless, enduring, extravagant, affectionate, dependable, true love, His gracious covenant loyalty!) God will never allow one single word to go unfulfilled.

Sometimes – like Abraham – we have to wait for a season to see in the natural what God has shown us in our hearts. But – 

Lamentations 3:22-25, NASB – The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, [The plural expressions of the Lord’s hesed never come to an end] for His compassions never fail. [His plural expressions of raham – tender mercies – never fail.] 23 They are new every morning; [They might come as a bluebird or a scripture or a song or sign or manifestation of the Spirit or wink from God] Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.

Jeremiah wrote that, too, at a time when the temple was in ruins and the people were in captivity, but in this season of crisis, he appealed to the hesed va raham of the Lord, (His lovingkindnesses and His compassions) and his laments turned to praise.

Psalm 103:2, 4 – Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:… 4 [He] redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness [hesed] and tender mercies, [raham]…

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• (MSG) The Message, Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson