Have you ever seen an “expectation vs. reality” meme? Of course, they are hilarious, but once you stop laughing, you realize how true they are. Life tends to under-deliver. We imagine how it may feel to accomplish something, but the reality often does not live up to our expectation. The same could be said about food, vacations, new clothes, etc. There is so much promise and anticipation, but the actual experience often does not live up to the hype.

When we read Ephesians 1, we should get the exact opposite feeling. God is better than we could have ever imagined. The Gospel secures for us more than we could have ever hoped. The reality of what God has done in Christ exceeds expectations. As you read Ephesians 1 today, let yourself be floored by the love and power of God. Look at the cosmic redemption and personal adoption that has been accomplished by the triune God with wonder. Embrace the promises and inheritance that are now yours in Christ with joy. Then, face the disappointments and shortcomings of life with the confidence that the best is yet to come. Oh, that the “eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (vv. 18–19).

• What does Ephesians 1 reveal to you about the Gospel that you hadn’t thought about before?