Tag Archives: Obedience

Ephesians 6:10-18

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

In all we do, no matter how small or insignificant, we should approach it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 10:11 to Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. The Armor of God is outlined in Ephesians 6:14-18, 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Let us remember the importance of including God, through the Holy Spirit, in all we do. His plan is perfect and the more we are guided by God, the smoother the road and understanding of our path. 

Ephesians 6:5-9

18 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

In today’s passage, Paul references the relationship between a slave and master. While no one wants to think of this type of relationship, the interaction and expected behavior translates well to that a boss/leader and their employees. In Ephesians 6:6 Paul’s instruction to the slave works just as well to an employee, Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. It is less about showing your boss what you are doing right, and more about doing what is right in all circumstances because it shows obedience to Christ. Paul goes onto to talk to Masters and how they are to treat their slaves. Again, this translates well to bosses/leaders. At the end of Ephesians 6:10 Paul reminds them that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. There is not difference in God’s eyes between a master and slave. We are all subordinate to Christ and are all expected to be a reflection of Him.

Ephesians 5:15-21

09 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Christ calls us to love one another. Paul even went as far as to say to “submit” to one another in Ephesians 5:21, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Submitting does not mean being a doormat. It means to subordinate so we can receive the promises of Christ. If we are willing to follow Christ and work in accordance to His plan, we are more willing to obey His commands and live according to God’s perfect plan for our lives and for the big picture.

Ephesians 5:1-7

24 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

God does not tell us to avoid contact with unbelievers; quite the contrary. We are called by Christ to love others as He loved us and to lead them to Him. However, we are to be an influence in this world and we are to guard ourselves from being influenced by it. In Ephesians 5:6 Paul says, Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. We must always remember that the promises of this world are fleeting and hold temporary satisfaction and fulfillment. It is through our love and obedience of God that we are able to make an eternal impact on those around us.

Ephesians 4:17-24

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

The knowledge of Christ and a relationship with Him are two separate things. In Ephesians 4:21 Paul reminds the Ephesians of this, Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. As believers who have a relationship with Christ, and who study His word, we are taught the truth of who Christ is and how we are to be a reflection of Him. We have no excuses when we believe in these truths. If we fail, it is because of a conscious decision to rebel against what we know is true.

Ephesians 4:7-16

26 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

We all have our good days and our bad. We all sin and make mistakes. The body of Christ is there to support us in our times of need, just as we are there to support the body of Christ when others need us. We do this because we have a common love created and supported by the love Christ has for us. In Ephesians 7:16 Paul says, From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. As individuals we have our weaknesses, but as a body of believers we are strong and have very few gaps in our faith. If we were all a little more open to understanding how we can work together as a body of Christ, we would all be stronger in our faith and stronger in influence and deed.

Psalm 144

14 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

In Psalm 144:4 David reminds us, Man is like a breath; his days are like fleeting shadow. This is very similar to James 4:14 where it says, “…You are a midst that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” God never promised us eternal life here on earth; He promised it with Him in eternity. But God did place us here on earth for a purpose. Let us not waste our time on inferior endeavors that have little to no impact in the light of eternity. Let us live our life with purpose, constantly seeking God’s will for our lives.

Psalm 143

12 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

A prayer for guidance is self-centered if it is not accompanied by a recognition that God has the power to redirect our path. Wanting guidance to fit out wants and ignoring God’s will is not obedience. Psalm 143:10 says, Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. David asked God to teach him to do God’s will and not his own. We should be asking God to open our eyes to His will so that we may know the right direction for our lives and align our wills with God’s.

Psalm 140

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

In today’s Psalm, David’s pray to God is for protection from those who threaten and slander him. In Psalm 140:4 David says, Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. When we are able to focus on our relationship with God, we turn our focus away from the things that threaten to harm us. Keeping our eyes firmly on God allows us to be led more effectively by God.

Psalm 139

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Daily Reading

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

At the end of this Psalm, David asks God to search for any wickedness in his life. In Psalm 139:23-24 David says, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. David is not challenging God to find him perfect, he is challenging God to identify sin and make it known so he can fix it. Too often we justify our sin and make excuses for the choices we make. If we are honest and open our hearts and minds to God, He will help us.