For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the sake of you Gentiles, pray to God. Surely you have heard that God in his grace has given me this work to do for your good. God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. (I have written briefly about this, and if you will read what I have written, you can learn about my understanding of the secret of Christ.) In past times mankind was not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. The secret is that by means of the gospel the Gentiles have a part with the Jews in God’s blessings; they are members of the same body and share in the promise of the same body and share in the promise that God made through Christ Jesus.

I was made a servant of the gospel by God’s special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power. I am less than the least of all God’s people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, and of making all people see how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms. God did this according to his eternal purpose, which he achieved through Christ Jesus our Lord. In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God’s presence with all confidence. I beg you, then, not to be discouraged because I am suffering for you; it is all for your benefit.

Ephesians 3:1-12

What kind of priceless correspondence do you have in your possession? Did you know that the Bible is a priceless collection of letters? Twenty-one of the 27 books in the New Testament are letters written to encourage and instruct Christians. They contain the priceless revelation of Jesus Christ. To every Christian, the value of the New Testament letters is not their cash value, but the wisdom they bring to an open heart – wisdom from God himself. If you want life-changing mail, open your Bible and read a letter from God.

Our Daily Bread – August 28, 2003