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Im-Maximizing-My-Mornings-300This week the study has concentrated on Ephesians 2: 11-22.

Question asked: What did you learn this week?

While the whole week was excellent, my first takeaway comes from verse 11:

“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.”

We can tend to look at the practice of our faith as making us believers. We can worship and serve and give our offerings and all it would be is an outward show. Not authentic. We need to have our hearts affected, transformed by Him. Judging based on the outward appearance is superficial. God looks deeper – He looks at our hearts. I want my heart to be different each time I look into His Word.

My second takeaway can be found in verse 21:

We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

It hit me that we are carefully joined together. He does not haphazardly throw us together. He knows how we will work best, how our talents and gifting will blend for His purposes, and how we will bless and encourage one another. He handpicks us to be together for His purposes and glory. During the week this verse was never more evident than in the small online group I am a part of for this study. It was amazing how we discovered we have been brought together, the precious community that has been developing there in the early hours before sunrise.

This week, photos were shared of the moon, of the sunrise and of seashells. It reminded me of this quote I read…

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. (Marcel Proust)

May the Lord open the eyes of our hearts as we continue in the study next week. May we have eyes that see what He would have us to see in His Word. May we have ears that hear. May we have hearts that are willing to be changed.

Linking with Hello Mornings .