Ephesians 5:6-20(CEB)
6 Nobody should deceive you with stupid ideas. God’s anger comes down on those who are disobedient because of this kind of thing. 7 So you shouldn’t have anything to do with them. 8 You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light. 9 Light produces fruit that consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. 10 Therefore, test everything to see what’s pleasing to the Lord, 11 and don’t participate in the unfruitful actions of darkness. Instead, you should reveal the truth about them. 12 It’s embarrassing to even talk about what certain persons do in secret. 13 But everything exposed to the light is revealed by the light. 14 Everything that is revealed by the light is light. Therefore, it says, Wake up, sleeper! Get up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
15 So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. 16 Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times. 17 Because of this, don’t be ignorant, but understand the Lord’s will. 18 Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: 19 speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; 20 always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
Toward the end of Pastor Joe’s Message on Sunday he quoted from the Chabad. I was curious and wanted to find that and put it in this devotional. This version is slightly longer.
This vision of life — life as a job — is expressed by the Talmudic sage Rabbi Tarfon in the closing words of the second chapter of Ethics of the Fathers:
The day is short, the work is much, the workers are lazy, the reward is great, and the Master is pressing… It is not incumbent upon you to finish the task, but neither are you free to absolve yourself from it. If you have learned much Torah, you will be rewarded, and your Employer is trustworthy to pay you the reward of your labors. Know, that the reward of the righteous is in the World to Come.
Our scripture calls Christians to take care how we “walk” in the world, referring to how we live and conduct ourselves. We are to walk in love, to walk as children of light, and to walk in wisdom.
Could walking be a metaphor for the Christian life?
I think these are some thoughtful reasons.
We don’t take one step and then say, I walked. Walking reflects the ongoing nature of life.
Walking reflects dependence. You must put one foot after the other, and you have to put all your weight on one foot at a time. Movement is dependent on planned action.
Walking is progressive. Walking requires one step after another, one step after another, because it always has a destination in mind. You walk because you are going somewhere.
If you are pursuing a relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit you move forward in life with Christ. You are walking in accordance with God’s will for you, advancing God’s kingdom with your life. With that orientation, that mind-set for living, you are moving in the will of God and growing in your spiritual maturity and Kin-dom usefulness.
by Clarence Beverage
For Pondering and Prayer
One thing I have come to appreciate in life is when things align. That is especially true when I reflect and remember hearing about some churches who only taught the New Testament saying that people couldn’t relate to the Old Testament.
Today we see, scripture, still living and true, written approximately 2,000 years ago. We see words from the Torah compiled from oral tradition by Rabbis’ centuries before the birth of Jesus. Today we can see common threads spreading across time.
How do you feel?
Is this proof to you of God’s magnificence and somewhat awe inspiring?
Perhaps God is gifting you with a different and better vision.
Prayer: Thank you for making us each unique and special. Thank you for uniqueness of spirit and gifts. Help us to see that differences bring abundance, richness, and an ability to experience life more fully as you intend for each and every one of us. We pray for that double measure that Elisha asked for so that we can be strong in you and carry on the good work and the Love that you have given to us to have and to share. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
