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 Lord’s holy people, 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.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭33:5-6‬
The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Some friends of ours just visited London, and they have buildings over there that are over 1,000 years old. I wonder what type of foundation was needed for these buildings to stay upright and weather earthquakes, storms, bombings, etc. The Bible is full of references to roots, foundations, support structures, etc. Three of my favorites are found in Matthew 7:24-27, John 15:1-8, and in I Peter 2:4-8. In the first passage, Jesus contrasts two different people: one who builds his house with a foundation on a rock, and the other who builds his house with a foundation on the sand. In the second passage, Jesus talks about a vine and its branches. He states that the branches cannot bear fruit apart from the vine. The inference here is that the vine has an extensive root system to bring nutrients to the branches. He says that we must remain in him. And I think, in context, this can also mean to remain rooted in him. In the third passage, Peter references the house of God, not built with dead boulders, but with living stones. We are those stones. And we are built in such a way as to support each other. And we are able to do this and not fall, because of the enormous cornerstone we are built on — Jesus Christ.

So, what do these passages have in common with our verses today? In the Ephesians passage, we find that when we remain in Jesus and are rooted in his love: 1) We will have true power, 2) we will be united with God’s people and belong and have togetherness, and 3) that we will not just conceptually know God and his love from afar, but we will know it from the inside out. It will be planted in our hearts and minds. The effects of this love will surpass all the knowledge this world claims to have and we will be filled with the full measure of the fullness of God! WOW! The Isaiah passage expands on this: When we make the Lord the foundation of our lives, and fear him and hold him in high esteem, a rich store of salvation riches and knowledge await us, and it is a great treasure!

When we feel depleted, worn out, worried, or overwhelmed; when trials come that are unfair and a bitter pill to swallow, these are the storms of life. We must be found in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord to weather these storms. And if we are built together in him, we are an eternal building whose foundation will last forever!

Thank you, Lord, for this great group of promises you have given us. We are firm and secure with you and Jesus as our foundation and cornerstone. We are also supported by remaining in fellowship with your church. So I can truly cast off fear, because my foundation today is secure!