Paul the
apostle told the Ephesian church members to “redeem the time,
because the days are evil”. This was to be done in keeping with
“walking circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” in this
world. In chapter five and verse seventeen of his letter, Paul
exhorted the Ephesians to “understand what the will of the Lord
is” where we read:
The
verse begins, “Wherefore be not unwise,...” Paul began
with the word “Wherefore” which is a conclusion word that
means “because of for this reason and on this account” “be
not” or “do not arise, allow to happen, come upon the stage
or appear” “unwise” which means “without reason,
senseless, foolish, stupid, without reflection or intelligence and
acting rashly”. Paul desired for the Ephesians to be “wise”
in their manner of living rather than “foolish and stupid”.
The verse goes on to say, “...but
understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Paul added the word, “but”
which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was just stated, “moreover,
nevertheless or nonetheless” “understanding”
which means “setting or bringing together, considering and
perceiving” “what the will”
or “desire, pleasure, purpose, commands, precepts, choice and
inclination” “of the Lord is”
who is “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God's desire”.
Rather than be “unwise”, the Ephesian church members were to
“perceive” what God's “desire and purpose” was for them.
When
we think through these words of Paul, we are challenged to live
“wisely” as we “perceive” what God's “desire” is
for our lives. Rather than engage ourselves in the “evil days”
and “wasting time”, we are to “understand” God's
plan for us and live according to that plan. God has a purpose for
us, and as we keep ourselves from “evil” and live “wisely”
every moment of the day, we will see more clearly the progressive
revelation of His “will”.
Next
time Paul shares with the Ephesians concerning being “filled
with the Spirit”, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment