ASCENDED to do His great work!

Following up on what I wrote about yesterday I am SO excited to share what God showed me this morning when I read Ephesians 4

Starting in v. 9 it talks about how Jesus "ascended". In order to ascend he had to "descend" first. He had to be brought to lowly places. (this earth) but because he did v. 10 says he was then able to “ascend higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.”
After writing yesterday about one of the lowliest places I have ever been it was made so clear to me HOW it is that God made beauty out of my mess......He brought me (I descended) to my "lowly" place so that He could ascend me higher and I could then in turn do what he has gifted me to do which is in v. 11&12....be teachers....v.12 "Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ."
v. 10 says that the whole reason Jesus ascended (and left us here to do his work) is so that the entire universe can be filled with himself.....wow!! that's a big job!! But this world is getting uglier by the minute. There is no better time than now to be (v.13) bringing others (starting with our children and then other women) to "maturity in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ." Then if you read on 14-16 it talks about no longer being immature like children but instead "growing more and more like Christ."
That of course.....should be our ULTIMATE goal in teaching. ;)

That's what He called us for....to equip others to do His work and build up the church body and helping them become mature in the Lord.
"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts GROW, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

I am ever so thank full today that He descended me to the pits....so that I could be ASCENDED to do His great work! Instead of feeling defeated and weakened by my trial verse 10 reminds me that my trial was meant to bring me HIGHER than I was before. From all that the Lord taught me over the past 2 years, I know that I have so much to share with others. I am excited about it and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store!