Fullness In Christ

O GOD,

Thou hast taught me

that Christ has all fullness and so all plenitude of the Spirit,

that all fullness I lack in myself is in him,

for his people, not for himself alone,

he having perfect knowledge, grace, righteousness,

to make me see,

to make me righteous,

to give me fullness;

that it is my duty, out of a sense of emptiness,

to go to Christ, possess, enjoy his fullness as mine,

as if I had it in myself, because it is for me in him;

that when I do this I am full of the Spirit,

as a fish that has got from the shore to the sea

and has all fullness of waters to move in,

for when faith fills me, then I am full;

that this is the way to be filled with the Spirit,

like Stephen, first faith, then fullness,

for this way makes me most empty,

and so most fit for the Spirit to fill.

Thou hast taught me that

the finding of this treasure of all grace in the field of Christ

begets strength, joy, glory,

and renders all graces alive.

Help me to delight more in what I receive from Christ,

more in that fullness which is in him,

the fountain of all his glory.

Let me not think to receive the Spirit from him as a ‘thing’

apart from finding, drinking, being filled with him.

To this end, O God,

do thou establish me in Christ,

settle me, give me a being there,

assure me with certainty that all this is mine,

for this only will fill my heart with joy and peace.

This week’s devotionals are from The Valley of Vision