I have known I would be facing a job search for months. That hasn’t made the emotions any easier. I continue to try to trust and focus where I believe I offer the most value. Today I was over-tired from a sleepless night and feeling unsure how best to focus my efforts. My wife suggested I take time away to spend alone with God.

I read through the book of Ephesians. It is a short letter with profound depth. While reading I recalled the hours I spent being guided by Watchman Nee’s work titled, “Sit Walk, Stand”. Today didn’t offer that much time, but reading through the letter reminded me of the solid truth of how much I am loved by God.

The key verses that stood out today were both 2:10 and 3:18-19.

Ephesians 2:10 > For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

At any time in life it is great to be reminded that God has already prepared work for us to do. Work that is uniquely designed to be done by us as individuals. Personally, I needed to see that today. My background is diverse with experience spanning several industries and job titles. In a market that seems to be demanding narrowly focused job applicants it is easy for me to wonder where I should focus and doubt myself. In this verse there is a strong promise that He crafted us as His workmanship. As we search for work, as I search for work, that promise is important to remember; because it should be a source of hope and strength.

The second point of the verse is to know that there is specific work already prepared for us. There is work out there; God already prepared it for us.

Ephesians 3:18-19 > may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

This was perhaps the most important section I read today. God’s love is so intense that Paul struggles to describe it. He even goes so far to say that God’s love surpasses knowledge. I’m an engineer by training and my top strength from the StrengthFinder 2.0 is a Learner, so you could say that knowledge is important to me. When I encounter things that surpass knowledge my system often doesn’t know quite how to handle it. Right now I realize that I have tried to quantify and understand God’s love. I analyze how He has worked in the past. I study, read, meditate, and memorize scriptures. I long to know … but Paul is stressing how huge God’s love is that it even surpasses knowledge. It is only through the power of the Spirit that I can even grasp the extent of His love.

As I thought about the entire letter of Ephesians and prayed for wisdom and focus, my mind was drawn back to Paul’s prayer in verses 3:14-21. In this prayer his primary focus is that we grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. What a wonderful prayer in both times of calm and times of turbulence.

So I found myself asking, “Do I really understand that God loves me?” Then I prayed Paul’s prayer…

  

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

  

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.