Remember that chapter and verse divisions were added long after Paul wrote this letter, so when we begin in v. 1 with "When I think of all this,..." he is referring back to the chapter 2 teaching on the building of the church.
Then he adds in something on another subject, and vv. 2-13 represent a parenthesis. "By the way..." Paul reminds them that God gave him the responsibility of extending his grace to them as Gentiles. God had revealed a mystery to Paul--a mystery in the Bible is something that was not fully understood previously. This particular mystery was about the Church, "Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus." v. 6
"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." v. 12 Because Paul was specifically sent to them to tell them about salvation in Jesus, they shouldn't be troubled by his suffering.
I have placed the parenthetical material in blue. Now in v. 14, Paul goes back to his original thought, "When I think of all this..." When he remembers the beautiful teaching from Chapter 2 about the church--how everyone who believes and trusts Jesus is a part of God's family; we are no longer strangers; we are indeed the very house or temple of the Lord...when he thinks of all this he falls on his knees and prays to the Father for them. He asks that God, from "his glorious, unlimited resources" will empower them with inner strength through His Holy Spirit. Oh, how we all need inner strength that can only come through the Holy Spirit's work in our lives.
I think I will stop here for today. I'll try not to wait so long to get back to it, but I think vv. 14-16 bear meditation as do the other points of this prayer. Today, let's pray for inner strength from the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 68:7-35
This is a victory psalm to celebrate what God has done. Beginning in v. 7, David recalls how God provided for His people, how He delivered them and scattered their enemies. v. 18 is quoted in the New Testament, Ephesians 4:8, and is applied to Christ, and it celebrates His victory over evil. v. 19 praises God, our savior, who "each day carries us in his arms." Surely this shows us that we too can overcome evil.
vv. 19-35 continues their praise to God who will rescue them and defeat their enemies. From the least to the greatest they sing and make music in praise to God. All words that attempt to describe the greatness of God always fall far short, but here is David's attempt in vv. 32-35, "Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord. sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!"
When we think back to Paul's prayer in Ephesians asking for inner strength, we see here in the Psalms that power and strength are part of what God wants to do for us! Praise be to God!
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