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Thursday,
January 23,
2025
"Living Carefully"
Message summary: Today how can we live carefully and make the most of every opportunity to express our faith in Christ? As we are open to the daily opportunities God provides for us, seeking to make the most of them, we are living as those who are wise while fortifying ourselves against the evils of our day.
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"Be very
careful, then,
how you
live--not as
unwise but as
wise, making
the most of
every
opportunity,
because the
days are evil"
(Ephesians
5:15,16).
Yesterday
I visited for
a few minutes
with Brian who
works in a
manufacturing
plant we serve
as chaplains.
For 12 years
he was a
heroin addict
in and out of
prison. He's
been free for
7 years now
and is growing
in his faith,
active in a
Bible-preaching
local church.
(He gave me
his permission
to share his
story and
photo in hopes
it will
encourage
others.)
I
encouraged
Brian to day
by day keep
staying
faithful and
shared an
illustration
about JR, a
man we will
likely visit
with in
another
company today.
He mounts a
post-it note
on his monitor
celebrating
each day he
has
experienced
freedom from
alcohol
addiction. As
I recall he is
at some 1,200
days or 12
pads of 100
notes! (a good
marketing idea
for post-it
notes)
Years
ago I spoke to
a group of men
in recovery at
a Teen
Challenge
chapel. Most
had lived in
various types
of destructive
addictive
behavior,
drugs,
alcohol,
gangs. At the
conclusion of
my message I
prayed for a
group of them
who came to
the front for
special
prayer. I
urged them to
consider that
their prior
way of life
does not
determine
their destiny.
Today's
verse presents
an outstanding
expression of
truth that is
a good verse
to memorize.
Brooksyne and
I did so many
years ago.
What a somber
expression of
reality that
is vitally
needed today
just like it
was when the
Apostle Paul
wrote it
nearly 2,000
years ago.
"Be
very careful,
then, how you
live--not as
unwise but as
wise, making
the most of
every
opportunity,
because the
days are
evil". The
Amplified
Version
renders the
verse: "Look
carefully then
how you walk!
Live
purposefully
and worthily
and
accurately,
not as the
unwise and
witless, but
as wise
(sensible,
intelligent
people),
Making the
very most of
the time
[buying up
each
opportunity],
because the
days are
evil."
Let's
examine this
verse phrase
by phrase:
2) We need to live "not as unwise but as wise". We need "the wisdom that comes from heaven" (James 3:17) and this will increasingly be contrary to the wisdom that comes from the world. Remember the old saying, "What's popular may not be right and what's right may not be popular". Jesus never let the desire for acceptance or popularity among His hearers dictate the truths he disclosed or errors He refuted. In our present age far too many let the world dictate. I read a true-to-life satire blog about a church, "promising to lower its doctrinal standard to meet whatever any competing congregation believes".
3) We need to make the most of every opportunity. As God's people seeking to live out our faith in these evil days we need to make the most of every opportunity, which the KJV translates as "redeeming the time". These opportunities abound for the Spirit-led, earnest follower of Christ.
4) The days are evil. This was true when Paul wrote the passage and it's also true of each succeeding generation, including our own. In seeking the true wisdom that comes from heaven I want my eyes to be open to the evil, not blinded by it.
Today
how can we
live carefully
and make the
most of every
opportunity to
express our
faith in
Christ? As we
are open to
the daily
opportunities
God provides
for us,
seeking to
make the most
of them, we
are living as
those who are
wise and
fortifying
ourselves
against the
evils of our
day.
Be encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we
could be
driven to
despair in the
midst of the
evil that
surrounds us
if we didn't
walk in the
light of Your
truth. We walk
in the true
wisdom that
comes from
heaven, not in
the flawed
wisdom that
comes from the
world. Help us
to make the
most of every
opportunity to
stand up for
divine truth
within our
minds, through
our speech and
by our
actions. Help
us to be
faithful in
passing on our
faith to the
next
generation. We
want to be the
light that
shines forth
in the
prevailing
darkness of
our land so
that we can
show others
the way to
eternal life.
In the name of
Your dear Son,
Jesus, we pray
for boldness
in speaking
the truth in
love. Amen.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
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Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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