Empowered

Life Lessons Devotional Series, Wednesday April 19, 2023

Scripture: Eph. 5: ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Life Lesson: The best way to make the most of the time you have in this world is by living in the fullness of the Spirit every day. 

– Paul exhorts us to be very careful with regard to how we live.  Let’s face it we can easily fall into the habit of living carelessly, or living for the moment forgetting that “the days are evil”. 

– Instead of making the most of every opportunity we can choose instead to waste time and squander opportunities.  Paul contrasts a party hardy attitude with a life of spiritual devotion.  One leads to depravity and the other to a life characterized by worship. 

– Now look out on the landscape of this world, what would you say best typifies the vast majority of people today?  There is an obsession with moral depravity that is spreading like a cancer.  This obsession is hammering at the doors of churches everywhere!  “Let us in!”, they scream. “Bring out your children and give them to us or else!” They howl. 

– “Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”  While the world drinks deep the cup of lasciviousness, the church is called to fill up on the power of the Spirit!   The presence of the Spirit will put a song in your heart, thankfulness in your soul, and a peace that surpasses all understanding! 

– The days may be evil but the believer will overcome evil with good.  The darkness of deception obscures but the light of God’s Word dispels the darkness with Truth!   We can choose to try to sympathize with the lost by affirming their misguided depravity or we can stand by faith in the resurrected Christ and point the lost sinner to the transforming power of the resurrection!