Tuesday 10 Jan 2017

January 10: Ephesians 5:15-21

Key Verse: Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Devotion:
How often do we use the excuses “I couldn't help myself”, or “It wasn't really my fault” when trying to get out of trouble because of something silly we have done? I can remember quite a few occasions just in the few seconds which it has taken to write these words! Most of the time, if we are going to be honest, it is because we have not been cautious enough in approaching the problem we faced, or we threw caution to the wind because we just wanted to let go!

Time is a realm which God has created for us to live within. We have got to use it wisely in order to make the most of it. We do live in a world that is evil, where people have turned against God, looked only within themselves to try and find answers for problems which only God can handle. How can we hope to ever be able to sort out issues which are so far beyond our understanding when we have so many temptations surrounding us?

Far too often we let go and “go with the flow” just so we don't have to fight it any more. When that happens, we no longer are in control! We are at the mercy of whatever passes us by! God does not want us to be like that, He would rather we depend on Him than give in to our surroundings... At least that way He will be able to protect us!

If we want to remain focused on God in our lives, then we have to make sure we do include Him in everything we do. When we become filled with our earthly surroundings in whatever we are doing, we are including God less and less. We may even get to the stage where we exclude Him from our lives all together. But if we want to be wise, we should be including Him in everything so He still has the ability to guide us in what we are doing... so long as we allow Him to do so!

Points to Ponder:
Who would you say is the biggest influence in your life today?

How long will that influence last compared to God?