#DailyDevotion Understand What The LORD’s Will Is

Eph. 5:15-21 ¹⁵Be very careful, then, as to how you live. Don’t be unwise but wise. ¹⁶And make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. ¹⁷So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. ¹⁸ Don’t get drunk on wine, which means wild living. But be filled with the Spirit ¹⁹as you speak psalms, hymns, and songs to one another and with your hearts sing and make music to the Lord, ²⁰always thanking God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These admonitions from Paul flow from the Gospel he spells out in the first couple of chapters. We should be careful how we live because we still dwell in these bodies corrupted by sin. Sin easily deceives us. Satan paves a pretty attractive path to hell. If it wasn’t so attractive we wouldn’t be so easily deceived. So Paul tells us to not be unwise but wise. To be wise is to focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to focus on the free gift of forgiveness and why we need that forgiveness in the first place. To be wise is to focus on the grace of God in Christ Jesus and why we need it.

Because Jesus is ascended to the right hand of the Father we should make the most of our opportunities because these are evil days. Despite the days being evil, Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is operative in the world through the world so He is at work when we have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. We don’t always have opportunities to do that especially these days when so many people are huddled up in their homes and aren’t at a lot of public gatherings. So pray for opportunities to share Jesus with people and don’t be timid when you do.

Paul calls us to not be foolish but understand what the LORD wants. That I believe he is describing in the following verses about getting drunk and participating in wild living. That does not bring anyone into faith in Jesus. What the LORD wants is for us to be filled with the Spirit singing and speaking psalms, hymns, and songs to one another. To be filled with the Spirit is to sing and speak such psalms, hymns and songs that are the Word of God and in particularly the Good News of Jesus. They should be about what Jesus has done for us and for all people. Note it is important that we do these to one another. We are the body of Christ. We need to hear these with one another and to one another. It is edifying for us. We should sing them from our heart. That doesn’t mean we make them up on the fly but rather we mean them. They are true expressions of our faith in Jesus.

There is that gratitude raising its lovely head again. Paul again to always be thanking God the Father for everything in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ. I do believe he means everything, both good and bad. For we do not know how the Father will use the bad things that happen in life for our good. God works all things for good for those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. So yes, all things and everything give thanks.

Heavenly Father, give us your good Spirit that we may we wise, take opportunities as you give them, sing the praises of Jesus and give thanks to you for everything. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.