Monday 6 Aug 2018

August 6: Ephesians 5:15-21

Key Verse: Ephesians 5:17
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Devotion:
Have you ever sat down and tried to work out when the most likely time for you to sin is? Is it when you are with non-Christians? Is it when you are alone? Is it when you are enjoying yourself? If you sit down and think about it, you may well be able to work out the circumstances which surround you when you are most likely to give in to sin. With that knowledge in hand, you should be able to either try and avoid those times, or work against your sin nature at those times. Either way, you are changing the way you live so you can walk closer to God because God is the one who cannot abide the sin.

The harder we try to make our lives less full of sin, the stronger we will be able to become in our work against sin. This will also give us a new-found strength in Christ because we will feel a whole lot closer to Him. How are we going to have any chance at understanding what God’s will is in our lives if we are going to be tuned in to the world and all its disturbances, noise, temptations and other junk we are surrounded by? How can we concentrate on God when we have so much pollution in our lives?

We are the ones who have to make the first step away from the clutter in our lives so we can once again pick up on the simple truth that God has been trying to tell us for such a long time! If we make our lives a better habitation for The Holy Spirit, we are more likely to be able to hear Him when He tries to speak to us! If you want birds to come into your garden you have to make your garden a better habitation for the birds; only then will they come forward and be seen in your garden.

When we change our lives to be more centred on God, He will be more willing to be more open with us because He will not have to fight for attention against all the sin we allow into our lives. Think about God more of the time by bringing more stuff into your life that He would like to see in it. Don’t chase Him away, invite Him in!

Points to Ponder:
Would you try to do homework outside in the rain?

Why then do we try to do God’s will in a sinful life?