Ephesians chapter one catalogs some of the great blessings the Christian has in Christ. We are chosen in Christ (v. 4), are adopted into God's family (v. 5), have the forgiveness of our sins (v. 7), have obtained an inheritance (v. 11), are sealed with the Holy Spirit (v. 13), etc.

Towards the end of the chapter, Paul prays the Ephesians will have "the eyes of your understanding enlightened" (v. 18). That is, he prays they will realize the richness of the blessings they have in Christ. Although the riches of God's grace are immeasurable, God would have us mature to the point at which we can begin to "take inventory" and appreciate the blessings He has given us. As we continue to grow in our faith, these blessings become more obvious, and our praise and thanksgiving to God become more abundant.

William Randolph Hearst was a wealthy newspaper publisher who lived in the first half of the 20^th Century. His passion was collecting art. One day he saw a picture of a beautiful painting by an obscure artist and had to add it to his collection. He sent one of his agents to find it. After several months of searching across the world, this agent failed to find the painting and he was fired. Hearst hired a detective agency to find the painting, and when they came up empty handed, they were fired. He then hired another detective to track down the painting. After several months he reported back to Hearst that the painting had been located and was in excellent condition - it was in one of his warehouses. Hearst had spent several years, and several hundred thousand dollars, searching for a treasure he already possessed.

How many of us are in search of something God has already given us in Christ? Let's stop and count our blessings. Let's open our eyes and come to realize and appreciate the richness of our blessings in Christ.