Verse of the Day 11/11

Through the Bible - Ezekiel 2-3, Hebrews 10

 

Good morning,

Yesterday I quoted the words to the song "In the Light" which spoke of the internal battle and the ultimate desire to "be in the light" to follow Christ.  God is calling us to wake up.

 

Ephesians 5:14 (Amplified Bible) Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.

 

Bible commentator Marcus Maxwell writes, "God ceases, in the light of the Spirit's revelation, to be a distant possibility, and becomes a shining reality in the lives of His people.  They are enabled to know Him for themselves and so be aware of all that He has done for them in Jesus Christ..... He is the glorious Father, who in Jesus Christ is revealed as the redeemer, and who through the Spirit opens our eyes to His grace."

 

For today's verse we'll continue on in the passage.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (Amplified Bible)  Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), 

 ¹⁶Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.

In verse 15 the NKJV versions starts out by saying "walk circumspectly", with eyes wide open to what is going on around you, seeing things from different (all?) perspectives.  It is something that cannot be done in a rush.  As we considered the other day, Jesus walked everywhere, "purposefully, worthily" and accurately following and being obedient to the will of the Father.

 

Think back through the encounters with Jesus in the gospels.  It is easy to see how He made the most of His time on earth, how He bought up each opportunity,

 

In the power of the Spirit, may we strive to live to look carefully how we "walk", to walk "circumspectly" looking for and taking advantage of opportunities that come our way.  May God be more than a distant possibility but a shining reality to us today opening our eyes to His grace.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Ephesians 5:14-20 (New King James Version)

¹⁴ Therefore He says:


      " Awake, you who sleep,
      Arise from the dead,
      And Christ will give you light."

Walk in Wisdom

   
¹⁵ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,