For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
It does not take people long to recognize those who are constantly planning evil or nasty things. They recognize such people as the troublemakers they are.
Let us have the humility of the psalmist. Let us recognize that before God we are poor and needy. However, whenever we are in a situation where we cannot be accurately described as poor and needy, let us use what we have been given to help those who are. I am of no account, except insomuch as God can use me to bring glory to His name. My possessions are of no value, except the way in which they can be used to honour the Lord.
Paul writes that children should obey their parents, referring back to the commandment to honour your father and mother. He goes on to tell slaves to obey their masters. Slaves should obey their masters, not just to please their masters, but in order to serve Christ. Let us do whatever work we do with enthusiasm, as if it was God’s work…because it is. If we do our jobs as if we every task is furthering the Kingdom of Heaven then every task we accomplish will further the Kingdom of Heaven. Further Paul reminds those who own slaves (and those who are bosses over employees) that we all answer to Christ.
Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians by telling them how to prepare for the battles we face. Our battle is not against flesh and blood enemies, rather we battle against powers and ideas which serve evil. That is why the very first piece of armor Paul describes is the belt of truth upon which everything else depends. It is by basing all of our thoughts and actions on truth that we will be able to resist and defeat the lies of the enemy, the ideas that sound good, but rest on something other than the truth. Ultimately, we cannot accomplish God’s purposes if we do not remain committed to the truth. If we allow ourselves to attempt to use lies and deception to accomplish anything, we will find everything we have done falling apart.
Paul tells us to follow up the belt of truth with the armor of God’s righteousness. That is the righteousness which we received from God. In order for our righteousness to be of any value we must recognize that it is purely a gift from God, not something we have accomplished on our own. If we recognize that righteousness is a gift from God, we will realize that it cannot be taken from us, even if we slip and fall. It is by standing firm in the Gospel message that our footing can remain steady. It is by remaining steadfast in our faith that we can extinguish the burn from the barbs and jabs that attempt to destroy our confidence. We can keep our thoughts clear and protected by remembering that salvation comes as a gift from God through Christ…and by not other means. Finally, we can strike back and destroy the ideas which attempt to take us away from God by expanding our knowledge of God’s word. The more familiar we are with God’s word, with what God has said in the Bible, the easier it will be for us to dispatch those ideas which do not measure up to what is true and real.
At one time I had memorized most of chapter 55, I think I should work to recommit it to memory. God is calling us (and through us everyone) to His free gift of salvation. This passage reminds us that the salvation which God offers is not just spiritual. God offers salvation for our entire being. He will meet all of our needs, including our need for food and drink. We do not need money to obtain what God is offering. It is not something which we can purchase. Yet despite the fact that God will freely satisfy our deepest needs, many people spend their money and their effort pursuing things which will not satisfy at all. If we open our ears and listen to God’s message, we will find that which will satisfy.
Those of us who have found God need to call on those around us to seek God NOW. There is a time in our life when we can find God, if we do not seek Him during that time, we will not be able to find Him later when we realize that something is missing. I will not tell you when that time is for any given individual, only God knows when the time is ripe for each individual to find Him. If you are reading this and do not know God, seek Him now, tomorrow may be too late. Seek God and let Him change your ways. Turn from evil and do good.
It is important to remember that God does not think about things the way in which we think about things and our ways of doing things are not God’s ways of doing things. His ways and thoughts are better and higher than our ways and thoughts. Let us listen when He tells us His thoughts and His ways. Then, let us think His thoughts and do things His way. God is sending His word out and it will bear fruit. It will change the world and make it a better more just place. God’s word will accomplish all that He intends. In the meantime, let us maintain justice and do what is right.