Bible League: Living His Word Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.— Ephesians 5:17 NIV In the previous verse the Apostle Paul told the Ephesian church that “the days are evil.” The conclusion he draws from this sorry state of affairs is that they should follow his instructions in our verse for today. They should “not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” If they follow his instructions, so he seems to be saying, they will avoid the negative influence of the evil days and they will avoid the negative repercussions. After all, when the days are evil the foolish man is without defense. Foolish people reject the Lord and reject His will and ways (Psalm 14:1). As a result, they cannot tell right from wrong. That makes foolish people vulnerable to the evil that surrounds them. They don’t seem to understand the consequences that come from following evil. They don’t seem to see the dangers—dangers in the present and dangers in the future. Instead of avoiding evil, they tend to fall right into it—and may even take foolish pleasure in it—not realizing the harm that will come to them presently and eternally. When the days are evil, we need to know what the Lord’s will is. Believers must be wise. Wise people know the Lord and know His will and ways (Proverbs 1:7). Consequently, they do know right from wrong. They see the evil of the evil days and recognize it for what it is. They anticipate the dangers and, though they’re not perfect, they tend to avoid them. Wise people are shrewd. They’re as shrewd as snakes (Matthew 10:16), detecting and avoiding anything that could harm themselves. This is God’s world, not our world. He made it and He established the rules. For reasons unknown to us, He allows evil to continue. But He has given us the power to resist the evil of our day if we focus on His will according to His Word. The foolish suffer for lack of this discipline (Proverbs 5:23). So, follow Paul’s instructions. Don’t be like them. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Chronicles 17, 18, 19 2 Chronicles 17 -- Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa, Reigns Well and Prospers NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 18 -- Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab; Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab; Ahab Defeated NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 19 -- Jehu Rebukes Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 15 John 15 -- I am the vine and you are the Branches; If the world hates you remember it hated me first NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.Insight Jesus gives a startling warning about forgiveness: If we refuse to forgive others, God will also refuse to forgive us. Why? Because when we don't forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. Challenge It is easy to ask God for forgiveness, but difficult to grant it to others. Whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin, we should ask ourselves, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?” Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Genesis 7:16 The Lord shut him in.Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lieth in the wicked one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world. Into the sin, the gaiety, the pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter; we cannot play in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, for our heavenly Father has shut us in. Noah was shut in with his God. "Come thou into the ark," was the Lord's invitation, by which he clearly showed that he himself intended to dwell in the ark with his servant and his family. Thus all the chosen dwell in God and God in them. Happy people to be enclosed in the same circle which contains God in the Trinity of his persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Let us never be inattentive to that gracious call, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, and hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast." Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace. Without Christ we perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety. Noah was so shut in that he could not even desire to come out, and those who are in Christ Jesus are in him forever. They shall go no more out forever, for eternal faithfulness has shut them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out. The Prince of the house of David shutteth and no man openeth; and when once in the last days as Master of the house he shall rise up and shut the door, it will be in vain for mere professors to knock, and cry, Lord, Lord open unto us, for that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will shut out the foolish forever. Lord, shut me in by thy grace. Daily Light on the Daily Path Luke 17:10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"Romans 3:27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 1 Corinthians 4:7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; • not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. • For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. 1 Chronicles 29:14 "But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. Psalm 143:2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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