Ephesians 5.15-21 (3)
Pray Psalm 42.1-3.
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
Sing Psalm 42.1-3.
(Nettleton: Come Thou Fount)
As the deer pants for fresh water let my soul, LORD, pant for You!
Let my soul thirst as it ought to for the Savior, ever true!
Tears by day have been my portion, tears by night have been my food,
while my foes add to my sorrow, saying, “Where now is your God?”
Read Ephesians 5.15-21; meditate on verse 17.
Focus on the word “understand.”
Preparation
1. What must we not be?
2. What are we to understand?
Meditation
Verses 15 and 17 have in common the idea of being wise. The wise person is not a fool, that is, does not act like a fool who considers that God has little or no place in his life. We’ll never know the will of God while this is our attitude.
To be wise is to know God’s will. As we have seen, God’s will is to fill all things with Jesus—every part of our soul, all our work and relationships, everything we learn and all that we are. He is building His Church so that we might be equipped to minister in His Name, helping one another and our lost neighbors to know the joy of the Lord by reaching to them with His grace.
We understand this to be the will of God. And we must understand that God’s will is that we should walk in His will, doing that which is according to His goodness, truth, and pleasure (Phil. 2.13).
And of course, all this begins with seeking the Lord, His wisdom, and His will in His Word. The Word of God reveals His wisdom, declares His will, holds out precious promises, and warns against foolishness and folly. The wise person will seek more of that Word.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5.17).
Clearly: We are not to be unwise.
How are we to be wise?
By understanding.
Understanding what?
The will of the Lord.
Does that strike you as mightily as it does me?
The God of all creation commands us to know what His will is.
And thereby, to be wise.
And happily we needn’t look far and wide to find out His will;
as it is all written down for us in His Book—the Scriptures Old and New.
He wants us to know Him.
“I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.
Then you shall know that I AM the LORD your God…” (Ex. 6.7).
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent” (Jn. 17.3).
“I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that
He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1.12).
He wants us to love Him.
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6.5; Matt. 22.37-40).
“Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!” (Ps. 31.23).
“I will love You, O LORD, my strength” (Ps. 18.1).
He wants us to obey Him.
“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5.29).
“You will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them” (Deut. 4.29-31).
“And God spoke all these words, saying:” obey these Ten Commandments (Ex. 20.1-17).
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification…
For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness…
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone,
but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies.
Test all things;
hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 4.3, 7; 5.15-22).
Don’t be unwise; but understand and do the will of the LORD.
Reflection
1. How would you explain the will of God to a new believer?
2. In which of the areas of the will of God—know Him, love Him, obey Him—do you need to improve?
3. Whom will you encourage today in seeking to understand the will of God?
The person who studies God’s law night and day will easily triumph over the difficulties that Satan can put in the way. Some wander, others stumble, go backward and fall, because they allow themselves to be gradually blinded by Satan and lose their awareness of God’s will. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Ephesians t.17
Pray Psalm 42.4-11.
Pray for strength to serve the Lord according to His will. Bring before Him your trials, work, questions, and concerns, and ask Him to meet you with His love in them all
.Sing Psalm 42.4-11.
(Nettleton: Come Thou Fount)
Now I pour my soul out in me as these thoughts come to my mind.
And I long to once again be where true worship I might find.
Oh my soul, be not despairing! Hope in God, and praise His Name!
For the LORD, your burden bearing, will restore your peace again.
Oh my God, my soul is weary, therefore I remember You.
Let Your grace and goodness near be, and Your promise, firm and true.
LORD, when trials and fears surround me, Your commands will be my song!
When distresses sore confound me, Your great love will keep me strong.
LORD, forget me not in mourning ’neath my foes’ oppressing hand.
See their mocking, hear their scorning; help my weary soul to stand.
Hope in God, praise Him forever when despair on you has trod.
Look to Jesus; never, never doubt your gracious, saving God.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we conclude our study of the place of God’s Law in His Kingdom. Our Read Moore podcast continues working through The Gospel of the Kingdom, working to understand the true Gospel of the Lord. The Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
