Day 270 Bible Readings – Ephesians 5: 18-21 (ESV)

Isaiah 65: 17-25, Isaiah 66, Ephesians 5, Psalm 144: 1-8

Ephesians 5: 18-21 (ESV)

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Verses 18 through 21 from Ephesians shows Paul telling the Church at Ephesus that they need to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells them to not get drunk with wine, but to live a Holy Spirit filled life that is characterized by the Holy Spirit and full of gratitude to God. Paul doesn’t say you can’t drink wine, but do not drink so much wine that you are drunk. Alcohol clouds the judgement, so his recommendation makes sense if you want to always be mindful of God’s laws in your behavior.

I think if you contrast the way you feel when you drink too much and when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will see the difference. At least I do. That fun feeling you get by being buzzed is so short lived. When I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I experience the same level of fun and it feels like it can go for long periods of time feeling that amazing sense of joy. When I write about what I am grateful for in my life, I feel an immediate sense of wonder and amazement that God has been so good to me. And sharing my gratitude with my friends of faith makes the sensations last so much longer. I’ve had fun at alcohol filled parties, but I never experienced the same sense of joy that I felt when I am talking about God and my gratitude with my friends in faith. I’ll take a brunch with friends in faith any day over a crazy wild night party.

Day 269 Bible Readings – Ephesians 4: 29 (ESV)

Isaiah 63-54, Isaiah 65: 1-16, Ephesians 4: 17-32, Psalm 143

Ephesians 4: 29 (ESV)

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Verse 29 from Ephesians 4 shows Paul’s advice to the Church of Ephesus on how to conduct yourself as a person who is born again as a believer in Christ. Paul reminds us to make sure what comes out of mouth and watch our tongue. As a person of faith, we need to make that what comes out of our mouth will build people up, and not put them down. What we say needs to fit the occasion and give grace to the people who hear us. Frederick Fyvie Bruce wrote in his bible commentary on Ephesians that corrupting talk means “Not only obscene vulgarity but slanderous and contemptuous talk.”

Paul’s words are such good advice on how to get along with people, but also how to behave in a relationship. When I read these words, they remind me of the advice marriage therapists give to people who want to stay married. Do your words to your spouse build them up? Do they give grace to your spouse? Are your words to your spouse always kind? These are great questions to ask when thinking about how you communicate not only to your spouse, your best friend, a family member, or even random strangers. If we want to behave more like a person of faith, we need to think about what comes out of our mouth and follow Paul’s recommendations.

Day 268 Bible Readings – Ephesians 4: 1-3 (ESV)

Isaiah 60-62, Ephesians 4: 1-16, Psalm 142

Ephesians 4: 1-3 (ESV)

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

In verses 1 through 3 from Ephesians 4 Paul writes to the Church at Ephesus that since God called us, we need to lead our lives in a manner worthy of this calling. Paul tells us to have humility and gentleness, and to be patient. As people of faith, we need to always treat ourselves and other people with love in our minds so we can maintain peace and unity.

In the NKJV version of verse 2, the words are translated as “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love”. In the Enduring Word bible commentary on verse 2, the word “lowliness” can mean “that we can be happy and content when we are not in control or steering things our way.” I like this interpretation because I feel that in our obedience to God, we need to be happy and content to let God have control. But let’s face it, giving God control in how we deal with other people can be so hard. But to have peace in mind and in our world, I think we need to always ask God “what do you want to me do in this situation”.  And then we need to follow what God says if we want peace, even if it seems contrary to how we would handle the situation. God has a plan and can see things we cannot, so if peace is our goal then we need to do what God says in everything.

Day 267 Bible Readings – Isaiah 59: 1-2 (ESV)

Isaiah 57: 14-21, Isaiah 58-59, Ephesians 3, Psalm 141

Isaiah 59: 1-2 (ESV)

“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Verses 1 and 2 from Isaiah 59 talks about why prayers are sometimes unanswered by God. When we sin and do not repent, we create a separation between ourselves and God. The separation is not on God’s part, but on ours. Our guilt separates us from God. The same thing happens when we quarrel or lie to someone we love. The quarrel or lie makes us feel guilty and the next time we see or interact with that loved one, our guilt becomes like a wall between us and the other person. We feel embarrassed to talk to them, or there is an awkwardness like how Adam and Eve felt after they at the apple and God called to them. If we do not talk about the awkwardness to confess the lie to the other person, the wall becomes bigger, and we no longer feel comfortable around them and avoid them.

We behave the same with God. If we do not repent of our sins, we will feel awkward with God. We might still pray to God, but that wall of guilt and sins will always be there. Deep down we will not feel worthy to have our prayers answered. But if we repent and tell God of our sins and ask for forgiveness the wall will disappear and God will be there ready to forgive and answer our prayers.